Northeast Alabama Community Counts

2018 Edition

A Report Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama.

Northeast Alabama Community Counts, 2017 Edition

Kenesha Reynolds, PhD Research Associate

Published by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama Ryan C. Hankins, Executive Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary ...... 7 Introduction ...... 11 How to Read Community Counts ...... 12 People ...... 18 Quality of Life...... 19 Household Income and Poverty ...... 19 Median Household Income ...... 19 Percent of Population Living Below Federal Poverty Level ...... 21 Percent Levels among Female-Headed Families with Children ...... 23 Percent Levels among Female-Headed Families with Children, continued ...... 24 Poverty Levels among the Elderly ...... 25 Poverty Level among Families with Children Under 5 Years ...... 27 Percent of Households with Incomes Less than $25,000 ...... 29 Percent Levels among Female-Headed Households with Children Under 5 Years ...... 31 Percent Levels among Female-Headed Households with Children Under 5 Years, continued ...... 32 Percent of School Children Receiving Free/Reduced Cost Lunches ...... 33 Poverty among Children Under 18 Years ...... 34 Percent of Children in Extreme Poverty ...... 36 Percent of All Births Covered by Medicaid ...... 37 Percent of Children Under 6 Years with Parents in the Labor Force ...... 38 Family Well-Being ...... 40 Divorce Rate ...... 40 Juvenile Court Case Rate – Delinquency ...... 41 Teen Pregnancy Rate ...... 43 Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect Incidence Reports Referred for Investigation ...... 44 Rate of Substantiated Child Abuse/Neglect Cases ...... 45 Percent of Population 65 Years and Older Living Alone ...... 46 Births to Mothers with Less than a 12th Grade Education ...... 48 Percent of Adults without a High School Diploma ...... 49 Teenage Birth Rate ...... 50 Percent of Births to Unmarried Women...... 51 Percent of Single-Parent Families with Children Under 18 Years...... 52 Percent of Single-Parent Families with Children Under 6 Years...... 54

Juvenile Drug Arrest Rate ...... 56 Adult Drug Arrest Rate ...... 57 Social Services ...... 58 Local Support for Public Schools, in Mills of Property Tax ...... 58 Local Support for Public Schools, in Dollars per Student ...... 60 Human Relations ...... 62 Women-Owned Businesses...... 62 Minority-Owned Businesses ...... 63 Ethnic Diversity of Counties ...... 64 Public Safety ...... 65 Total Reported Crime Rate ...... 65 Total Reported Violent Crime Rate ...... 67 Community Health ...... 69 Physical Health ...... 69 Infant Mortality Rate ...... 69 Infant Mortality Rate for Non-White Children ...... 70 Low-Weight Birth Rate ...... 71 Total Death Rate ...... 72 Death Rate from Heart Disease ...... 73 Death Rate from Cancer ...... 74 Death Rate from Lung Cancer ...... 75 Death Rate from Unintentional Injuries ...... 76 Death Rate from Suicide ...... 77 Death Rate from Liver Disease and Cirrhosis ...... 78 Death Rate from Homicide ...... 79 Licensed Physicians per 1,000 Population ...... 80 Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population ...... 81 Adult Obesity Rate ...... 82 Percent of People without Medical Insurance ...... 83 Teenage Mothers Who Smoke During Pregnancy ...... 84 Percent of Births with Inadequate Prenatal Care ...... 85 Voter Participation ...... 86 Voter Registration Percentage ...... 86 Percent of Registered Voters Who Voted ...... 87

PROSPERITY ...... 88 Economy and Jobs ...... 89 Labor Force, Employment & Wages ...... 89 Average Annual Pay ...... 89 Unemployment Rate ...... 90 Labor Force Participation Rate ...... 91 Labor Force Growth Rate ...... 92 Employment Growth Rate ...... 93 Change in Employment by Sector – Manufacturing ...... 94 Change in Employment by Sector – Construction ...... 95 Change in Employment by Sector – Transportation and Warehousing ...... 96 Change in Employment by Sector – Wholesale Trade ...... 97 Change in Employment by Sector – Finance & Insurance ...... 98 Change in Employment by Sector – Accommodation & Food Service ...... 99 Change in Employment by Sector – Healthcare & Social Assistance ...... 100 Change in Employment by Sector – Retail Trade ...... 101 Percent of Workforce Working Outside County of Residence ...... 102 Percent of Adults with a High School Diploma or Higher ...... 103 Percent of Adults with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher ...... 105 Economy ...... 107 Per Capita Personal Income ...... 107 Percent Change in Per Capita Personal Income ...... 108 Property Values Per Capita ...... 109 Percent Change in Property Values ...... 110 Retail Sales Per Capita ...... 111 Percent Change in Retail Sales Per Capita ...... 112 Mass Transit ...... 113 Public Transportation Ridership per 1,000 ...... 113 Traffic Congestion ...... 115 Average Commute Time ...... 115 Mode of Transportation for Workers Age 16+ ...... 117 Learning ...... 119 Public Schools ...... 119 ACT Aspire Math ...... 119

ACT Aspire Math, continued ...... 120 ACT Aspire Reading ...... 121 1st Grade Retention Rates ...... 123 PLACE ...... 124 Environment ...... 125 Land ...... 125 Rural vs. Urban Population ...... 125 Percent Changes in Farmland Acreage, 2007-2012 ...... 126 Places and Activities ...... 127 Arts and Culture ...... 127 Grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts ...... 127 Travel-Related Earnings Per Capita ...... 128 Travel-Related Expenditures Per Capita ...... 129 Neighborhood Vitality ...... 130 Growth in Residential Property Value ...... 130 Housing Affordability ...... 132 Home Ownership Rate ...... 133 Median Age of Homes ...... 134 Occupancy Rate ...... 136 Owner Occupied Housing ...... 138 Plumbing Availability ...... 140 Kitchen Availability ...... 142

Executive Summary

Northeast Alabama Community Counts

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In an effort to better understand social and economic conditions of the people it serves, the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama (the “Foundation”) commissioned the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama to produce a comprehensive report on more than 100 measures of quality of life in the Foundation’s nine-county service area. The three major dimensions within the report – People, Prosperity and Place – explore characteristics that are important in successfully sustaining a healthy community. This Community Counts report updates and expands a similar PARCA report done in 2013 that focused on nine counties in Northeast Alabama: Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Randolph, St. Clair and Talladega. On well over half the quality of life indicators that make up this report, the counties of Northeast Alabama, when taken together, lag behind the Alabama average and the national average.

Key Findings

The region trails the U.S. and Alabama averages on measures of educational attainment.

In Alabama, 15.7 percent of adults never graduated from high school (page 49). In all nine Northeast Alabama counties, the percentage of the population lacking a diploma is higher than the state’s. Although these numbers are higher than that of the U.S. and the State, all counties have seen a positive change in the number of adults who graduated from high school, since the 2013 report. Cherokee County enjoys the most significant change, from 26.5 percent in 2013, to 20.5 percent in 2017. College degrees are even scarcer. Across the U.S., 29 percent of people over 25 have college degrees. In Alabama, only 23 percent of adults have earned at least a bachelor’s degree (page 106). The nine-county is far behind that mark. Among the nine counties, Calhoun has the highest percentage of college graduates, with 16.9 percent of the population holding a four-year

Executive Summary

degree. The other counties are farther behind. In Clay County, just 8.6 percent of adults are college graduates, the lowest percentage of the nine-counties. Over the four-year period, since the 2013 publication, there has been a slight improvement in the number of college graduates in all counties, except Clay County.

The region trails the U.S. and Alabama averages on measures of income.

The median household income for all counties, except St. Clair, trails the state’s median income (page 19). Seven of the nine counties trail the state’s median income by 10 percent or more. The state’s median income has increased slightly from $42,934 in 2011, to $43,623 in 2015. Similarly, there has been a minimal increase in median income of five of the nine counties (St. Clair, Calhoun, Etowah, DeKalb and Randolph). All of the counties, except St. Clair, have higher percentages of households with incomes less than $25,000 than that of the state. Approximately 30 percent of the state has households with incomes less than $25,000, while St. Clair has 24 percent. All of the nine counties have higher percentages of households with incomes less than $25,000 than that of the nation (pages 29 and 30). Five of the nine counties (Cherokee, Etowah, Randolph, Calhoun and Talladega) have a higher percentage of their population living in poverty, than the state’s 18.8 percent (page 21). Based on the 2013 publication, Clay and DeKalb counties had a higher percentage of their population living in poverty than that of the state’s percentage. Both counties have a lower percentage than the state in 2015, based on the 2015 census. However, there is a wide gap between counties and localities. St. Clair County has the lowest poverty rate among the nine counties, at only 16 percent. Meanwhile, Talladega has the highest rate among the counties at 23 percent. In Calhoun County’s Hobson City, 41 percent of the population lives in poverty (page 22). Similarly, the five counties above, with higher poverty percentage than that of the state, have a higher population of children 18 and under living in poverty than that of the state’s average of 27.3 percent (page 34). In Talladega County, 37.1 percent of children 18 and under live in poverty, the highest rate among the nine counties. In Hobson City 69 percent of children live in poverty-level households, the highest rate among Calhoun County municipalities (page 35). Poverty among children 18 and under has worsened in Hobson City since the 2013 report. In 2013, 64 percent of the city’s children, 18 and under lived in poverty. Similar to the state, three

Executive Summary

of the nine counties have seen an increase in poverty among children – St. Clair, Calhoun, and Cherokee. Of the school systems in the county, all except Trussville and St. Clair are higher than the state average in the percentage of students who qualified for free or reduced lunches, a marker of economic disadvantage. In Talladega City, more than 80 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunches (page 33).

Residents of the region fare poorly on several measures of health.

The overall death rate was higher in eight of the nine counties than the state at large (page 72). Total death rate has increased for the state and all counties, except Clay County, since the 2013 report. A majority of the counties exceeded the state death rate from heart disease (eight of the nine counties); cancer (seven of the nine); lung cancer (seven of the nine); unintentional injury (seven of the nine); and liver disease and cirrhosis (seven of the nine), see pages 73 – 78). Deaths from homicide occurred at a lower rate than the state average in six of the nine counties. However, in Talladega County, the homicide death rate was more than double the state’s rate. There was a significant increase in homicide deaths in Talladega Count, from 9.8 per 100,000 in 2011 to 22.3 in 2015 (page 79).

The plight of children in the nine-county area needs attention.

Seven of the nine counties have teen pregnancy rates (page 50) higher than the state rate of 20.7 per 1,000 births. The highest was in Clay County with a rate of 31 per 1,000 births. However, while the state has seen an increase in teen pregnancy from 2011 to 2015, all nine counties’ rates have decreased. In all counties, except St. Clair, Medicaid pays for more than half of all births (page 37). The percentage of births covered by Medicaid has decreased in all counties, except Calhoun and Etowah counties. Similarly, the state’s percentage covered decreased from 53.1 percent in 2011 to 50.6 percent in 2015. Six counties out of the nine had rates of infant mortality, for non-white children, lower than the state’s rate. Clay had the highest in the region, with rate of 40 deaths per 1,000 births. The state rate is 14.4 per 1,000, by comparison. Infant mortality rate for non-white children has decreased significantly for Cleburne County, from 43.5 per 1,000 in 2011 to zero in 2015.

Executive Summary

Cherokee had the highest rate of low births weight among babies, with 14.3 percent of babies born under-weight. This is a significant change from 5.8 percent in 2011. In all counties, except St. Clair, incidents of child abuse and neglect were reported at a higher rate than the state’s rate (page 44). Etowah County had a rate of reports almost double that of the state’s rate, 41.1 and 22.1, respectively. There has been an increase in the number of reports in six of the nine counties (Randolph, DeKalb, Talladega, Etowah, Clay and Calhoun) since 2011.

Summary

The region has progressed in some metrics. High school graduation rates have increased. The median income has seen slight increases in 5 counties. Teen pregnancy rates have decreased in all nine counties, as has the percent of births covered by Medicaid in all except two counties. Infant mortality rate for non-white children has improved, especially for Cleburne County. However, other metrics have regressed. The percentage of college graduates has increased only slightly and not in all counties. Eight of nine counties have higher percentages of households with incomes less than $25,000 than that of the state, and there is great economic disparity within the region. Poverty rates have increased; five counties are now above the state average, unlike 2011 in which only two counties were above the state poverty average. Three of nine counties have seen increases in children in poverty and eighteen of twenty school systems have higher rates of students with free lunch than the state average. Teen pregnancy rates have decreased but still exceed the state rate in seven counties. There has been an increase in the number of child abuse reports in six counties. The percentage of low-birth-weight babies has increased. The total death rate has increased.

The data in the following pages reveal finer distinctions and a more nuanced picture of the counties and communities. An interactive version of the data can be found at http://www.yourcommunityfirst.org/community-needs-assessment-1/.

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

This report presents the results of an effort to measure where the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama’s service area stands in terms of social, economic, and environmental characteristics that reflect the quality of life in the area. The heart of the report consists of a wide variety of community indicators representing key features of the social, economic, and environmental landscape of the region. The intention is to track the indicators over time, reproducing the report periodically, to show progress as it occurs and identify problem areas that need attention in order to create a more vital, healthy regional community. The last report, Community Counts: Measuring Progress in Northeast Alabama, was published in 2013. The Foundation asked the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama to create an updated report measuring the status of counties within its service area. Those counties include Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Randolph, St. Clair and Talladega. The report also focused on 16 cities within the counties, which include Anniston, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Heflin, Hobson City, Jacksonville, Lineville, Moody, Oxford, Pell City, Piedmont, Roanoke, Sylacauga, Talladega, Trussville, and Wedowee. What is an Indicator? A community indicator is a quantitative measure of a key social, economic, or environmental condition within a geographic area such as Calhoun County. The indicator itself does not define the community’s status – it is, rather, a means to that end. Compiling a measure, and tracking it over time, enables us to see whether the trend within a county is positive or negative. Measuring at the city level allows us to see whether the trend applies to all areas of the county. As our experience with the indicator grows, we can establish a target (sometimes called a “goal” or “benchmark”) for progress, perhaps by using comparisons to the state, the nation, or other regional communities that we might choose. In this way, use of the indicator assists those who want to focus energy on improving the quality of life within the region. It is equally important to recognize the relationships among indicators. Each indicator is one piece of the overall picture of the community. When observed individually, an indicator provides information about a particular aspect of community life. However, when analyzed together, they offer insight into the overall quality of life in the region. As we move forward in using the community indicators chosen for tracking, a key part of the analysis will be to

Introduction recognize the relationships among indicators and develop strategies that take advantage of the interactions.

How to Read Community Counts

When deciding what characteristics are important in successfully sustaining a healthy community, three main dimensions are considered. The three key dimensions are the social, economic, and physical environments of the area. Throughout this report, these dimensions are referred to as People, Prosperity, and Place. Within the three broad dimensions of People, Prosperity, and Place, 9 categories and their broad goals are used in defining the indicators contained in this report.

PEOPLE  Quality of Life: Fulfilling the basic needs of all citizens  Community Health: Maintaining a healthy community  Civic Engagement: Using public and private resources efficiently and effectively

PROSPERITY  Economy and Jobs: Promoting economic opportunity for the region’s people  Learning: Educating citizens for success in life  Transportation: Ensuring mobility through integrated connections

PLACE  Environment: Sustaining the green environment that defines our region  Places and Activities: Enhancing our cultural, recreational, and historic places  Neighborhoods: Supporting neighborhoods as building blocks of a strong region

Each indicator lists the source of the information, the measurement that it provides and the reason why that measurement is important. In all cases, the term “better” may mean either “higher” or “lower,” depending on the nature of the indicator. It is, for example, better to be below the national average on the infant death rate, and better to be above the national average on per-capita income. These nine categories contain 93 distinct categories. This report contains the most recent data available for those indicators, which will serve as the baseline measurement of the quality of life within the region. The data highlight many positive aspects of the county and its

Introduction municipalities, as well as challenges to be addressed. Through this publication, the region can more clearly see its strengths and provide a catalyst for positive change where needed.

General Social, Economic, and Physical Characteristics of Northeast Alabama

General population characteristics. The table below shows that the population of the region is less racially diverse than that of the state, with whites comprising 73 percent of the total and blacks 20.3 percent, compared to statewide figures of 66.3 percent and 26.3 percent, respectively. All counties, except Talladega, are less diverse than the state. Talladega County is more diverse than the state, with whites comprising of 63.7 percent of total, and blacks 31.9 percent compared to the statewide figures.

Introduction

GENERAL POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

2016 % Change Jurisdiction Population from 2010 Racial % for 2015 Population ______White Black ______Alabama 4,863,300 2% 66.3% 26.3%

Calhoun County 114,611 -3% 73.0% 20.3% Cherokee County 25,725 -1% 91.7% 4.8% Clay County 13,492 -3% 79.9% 14.4% Cleburne County 14,924 -0.3% 92.5% 2.9% DeKalb County 70,900 -0.3% 80.9% 1.8% Etowah County 102,564 -2% 78.5% 15.4% Randolph County 22,652 -1% 75.2% 19.6% St. Clair County 88,019 5% 86.3% 9.4% Talladega County 80,103 -3% 63.7% 31.9%

Poverty Population

Among the nine states, St. Clair County has the lowest percentage of the total population living below the poverty level (16 percent), which is below the state’s 19 percent. Talladega County has the highest percent of its population living below the poverty level (23 percent).

Introduction

Household Income

The table below shows the number and percent of households in the region at various levels of income. The nine-county region has the highest percentage of households clustered around $15,000 to $75,000 income brackets, accounting for just over half of all households. When compared to the state as a whole, the region has higher percentages of households in all income brackets under $50,000, and smaller percentages of households in almost every income bracket above $75,000. Alabama has a higher per capita income than each of the nine counties, with St. Clair County being the closest at $34,400 per capita, and Etowah County ranking last with $29,621.

Per Capita Income & Household Income by Level, Census American Community Survey 2011-2015 State of Calhoun Cherokee Clay Cleburne Etowah Dekalb Randolph St. Clair Talladega Alabama County County County County County County County County County Per Capita Income 38,030 33,418 32,645 32,965 31,209 29,621 34,086 32,119 34,400 31,805 (dollars) Number of Households by Income Level Less than $10,000 182,268 4,680 1,162 544 557 2,676 3,515 1,217 2,342 3,631 $10,000 to $14,999 129,587 3,441 969 512 528 1,942 3,212 928 1,887 2,824 $15,000 to $24,999 238,219 5,927 1,710 876 806 3,736 6,925 1,077 3,291 5,079 $25,000 to $34,999 212,167 5,449 1,571 755 847 3,125 4,535 1,040 3,852 4,134 $35,000 to $49,999 261,178 6,697 1,787 949 834 4,198 5,248 1,407 3,854 4,484 $50,000 to $74,999 319,759 8,757 1,707 875 1,019 4,811 7,700 1,779 6,983 4,910 $75,000 to $99,999 201,140 4,379 1,191 488 534 2,408 4,274 726 4,568 2,925 $100,000 to $149,999 191,823 4,236 797 316 507 1,469 3,293 585 3,534 2,523 $150,000 to $199,999 62,075 985 251 71 58 295 671 51 1,017 609 $200,000 or more 50,109 603 133 33 86 353 526 105 651 305 Total Households 1,848,325 45,154 11,278 5,419 5,776 25,013 39,899 8,915 31,979 31,424

Less than $10,000 9.9% 10.4% 10.3% 10.0% 9.6% 10.7% 8.8% 13.7% 7.3% 11.6% $10,000 to $14,999 7.0% 7.6% 8.6% 9.4% 9.1% 7.8% 8.1% 10.4% 5.9% 9.0% $15,000 to $24,999 12.9% 13.1% 15.2% 16.2% 14.0% 14.9% 17.4% 12.1% 10.3% 16.2% $25,000 to $34,999 11.5% 12.1% 13.9% 13.9% 14.7% 12.5% 11.4% 11.7% 12.0% 13.2% $35,000 to $49,999 14.1% 14.8% 15.8% 17.5% 14.4% 16.8% 13.2% 15.8% 12.1% 14.3% $50,000 to $74,999 17.3% 19.4% 15.1% 16.1% 17.6% 19.2% 19.3% 20.0% 21.8% 15.6% $75,000 to $99,999 10.9% 9.7% 10.6% 9.0% 9.2% 9.6% 10.7% 8.1% 14.3% 9.3% $100,000 to $149,999 10.4% 9.4% 7.1% 5.8% 8.8% 5.9% 8.3% 6.6% 11.1% 8.0% $150,000 to $199,999 3.4% 2.2% 2.2% 1.3% 1.0% 1.2% 1.7% 0.6% 3.2% 1.9% $200,000 or more 2.7% 1.3% 1.2% 0.6% 1.5% 1.4% 1.3% 1.2% 2.0% 1.0%

Introduction

Employment by Industry

The following table shows data on employment by industry within the state and the nine- county region. These figures reflect the employment of residents, rather than the jobs found in a jurisdiction. Thus, the percentages describe how residents earn their living, not the sources of jobs in the local economy. In percentage terms, more regional residents are employed in manufacturing industries than is true of the state as a whole (22 percent vs 14 percent), and almost all other industries for the region are lower than that of the state. Over half of the residents in the region are employed within three industries; manufacturing, educational services and health care, and retail trade.

Employment of Residents by Industry, 2011-2015 Census ACS State of Calhoun Cherokee Clay Cleburne Etowah Dekalb Randolph St. Clair Talladega Alabama County County County County County County County County County Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 34,153 339 186 252 290 1,064 328 243 307 478 Construction 130,220 2,698 779 303 717 2,046 2,560 640 3,707 1,858 Manufacturing 281,016 8,198 2,133 1,603 1,198 7,662 7,797 2,369 5,578 6,918 Wholesale trade 50,843 1,061 209 42 124 719 1,293 145 1,421 757 Retail trade 243,586 5,666 1,130 535 858 3,219 4,528 777 4,864 3,553 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 105,000 2,217 692 224 349 1,439 2,301 542 2,577 1,729 Information 34,642 710 96 115 40 283 675 153 804 358 Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 112,398 1,792 214 176 176 842 1,740 407 2,556 1,281 Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 187,246 3,709 486 262 269 1,426 2,363 501 3,007 2,124 Educational services, and health care and social assistance 455,178 10,493 2,379 861 1,103 4,787 9,958 1,629 6,409 6,436 Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services 167,019 4,444 654 187 385 1,850 3,533 462 2,304 2,450 Other services, except public administration 106,030 2,164 509 214 243 1,424 2,075 432 1,808 1,166 Public administration 114,994 3,910 688 406 313 1,017 2,085 330 1,635 1,510 2,022,325 47,401 10,155 5,180 6,065 27,778 41,236 8,630 36,977 30,618

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 1.70% 0.70% 1.80% 4.90% 4.80% 3.80% 0.80% 2.80% 0.80% 1.60% Construction 6.40% 5.70% 7.70% 5.80% 11.80% 7.40% 6.20% 7.40% 10.00% 6.10% Manufacturing 13.90% 17.30% 21.00% 30.90% 19.80% 27.60% 18.90% 27.50% 15.10% 22.60% Wholesale trade 2.50% 2.20% 2.10% 0.80% 2.00% 2.60% 3.10% 1.70% 3.80% 2.50% Retail trade 12.00% 12.00% 11.10% 10.30% 14.10% 11.60% 11.00% 9.00% 13.20% 11.60% Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 5.20% 4.70% 6.80% 4.30% 5.80% 5.20% 5.60% 6.30% 7.00% 5.60% Information 1.70% 1.50% 0.90% 2.20% 0.70% 1.00% 1.60% 1.80% 2.20% 1.20% Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 5.60% 3.80% 2.10% 3.40% 2.90% 3.00% 4.20% 4.70% 6.90% 4.20% Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 9.30% 7.80% 4.80% 5.10% 4.40% 5.10% 5.70% 5.80% 8.10% 6.90% Educational services, and health care and social assistance 22.50% 22.10% 23.40% 16.60% 18.20% 17.20% 24.10% 18.90% 17.30% 21.00% Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services 8.30% 9.40% 6.40% 3.60% 6.30% 6.70% 8.60% 5.40% 6.20% 8.00% Other services, except public administration 5.20% 4.60% 5.00% 4.10% 4.00% 5.10% 5.00% 5.00% 4.90% 3.80% Public administration 5.70% 8.20% 6.80% 7.80% 5.20% 3.70% 5.10% 3.80% 4.40% 4.90%

Introduction

Employment by occupation

According to Census data, there are an estimated 214,040 residents in the workforce within the nine counties, making up 10.6 percent of the state’s total workforce. In terms of broad occupational groupings, residents of the nine-county region are less likely than other Alabamians to be employed in managerial and professional (27 percent vs 33 percent), and much more likely to be employed in production and transportation occupations (23 percent vs 16 percent).

Employment of Residents by Occupation, 2011-2015 Census ACS State of Calhoun Cherokee Clay Cleburne Etowah Dekalb Randolph St. Clair Talladega Occupation Alabama County County County County County County County County County Management, business, science, and arts occupations 673,400 12,928 2,979 1,113 1,751 6,716 11,820 2,381 10,660 8,591 Service occupations 339,082 8,377 1,627 689 707 4,375 7,637 1,112 5,525 4,535 Sales and office occupations 488,066 11,462 1,977 1,078 1,404 5,906 8,770 1,755 10,190 6,834 Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 200,200 4,982 1,387 791 948 3,434 4,045 1,128 4,591 3,423 Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 321,577 9,652 2,185 1,509 1,255 7,347 8,964 2,254 6,011 7,235 2,022,325 47,401 10,155 5,180 6,065 27,778 41,236 8,630 36,977 30,618

Management, business, science, and arts occupations 33.3% 27.3% 29.3% 21.5% 28.9% 24.2% 28.7% 27.6% 28.8% 28.1% Service occupations 16.8% 17.7% 16.0% 13.3% 11.7% 15.7% 18.5% 12.9% 14.9% 14.8% Sales and office occupations 24.1% 24.2% 19.5% 20.8% 23.1% 21.3% 21.3% 20.3% 27.6% 22.3% Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 9.9% 10.5% 13.7% 15.3% 15.6% 12.4% 9.8% 13.1% 12.4% 11.2% Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 15.9% 20.4% 21.5% 29.1% 20.7% 26.4% 21.7% 26.1% 16.3% 23.6%

PEOPLE

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Quality of Life

Household Income and Poverty

Median Household Income

What it measures: The middle value of the sum of money income received in a calendar year by all household members 15 years old and over, including household members not related to the householder, people living alone, and other nonfamily household members.

Importance: The median household income is a general indicator of the economic well-being of all households in the community.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Area Income 1. At or above Alabama median: St. Clair U.S. $53,889 2. Within 10% of Alabama median: Calhoun Alabama $43,623 3. Over 10% below Alabama median: Etowah St. Clair $51,859 DeKalb Calhoun $41,703 Cleburne Randolph Etowah $39,220 Cherokee DeKalb $38,192 Clay Cleburne $38,056 Talladega Randolph $36,924 Cherokee $36,296 Clay $35,327 Talladega $35,155

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Median Household Income, continued

Where we stand:

1. At or above U.S. median: Trussville Area Income Moody U.S. $53,889 2. At or above Alabama median: Above, plus Alabama $43,623 Oxford Trussville $82,108 3. Within 10% of Alabama median: Pell City Moody $61,049 4. Over 10% below Alabama median: Jacksonville Oxford $51,375 Fort Payne Roanoke Pell City $41,944 Sylacauga Jacksonville $38,903 Lineville Fort Payne $38,833 Anniston Roanoke $34,956 Talladega Sylacauga $33,407 Gadsden Lineville $31,472 Piedmont Anniston $29,681 Wedowee Talladega $29,482 Heflin Gadsden $29,136 Hobson City Piedmont $28,884 Wedowee $26,574 Heflin $25,823 Hobson City $25,563

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Population Living Below Federal Poverty Level

What it measures: The number of individuals living below the federal poverty level, which is a nationwide standard not adjusted for local cost-of-living factors. Importance: Poverty is at the root of most health and human service needs Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Population Area Below 1. At or below U.S. percentage: None Poverty Level 2. At or below Alabama percentage: St. Clair U.S. 15.5% Clay Alabama 18.8% Cleburne St. Clair 16.0% DeKalb Clay 16.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Cherokee Cleburne 17.0% Etowah DeKalb 18.7% Randolph Cherokee 19.2% Calhoun Etowah 19.7% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percent: Talladega Randolph 20.4% Calhoun 20.5% Talladega 23.0%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Population Living Below Federal Poverty Level, continued

Where we stand: Population Area Below 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Trussville Poverty Level Moody U.S. 15.5% Oxford Alabama 18.8% Lineville Trussville 4.7% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above Moody 9.9% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Fort Payne Oxford 11.7% Roanoke 4. Over 10% above Alabama percent: Pell City Lineville 12.9% Heflin Fort Payne 19.0% Piedmont Roanoke 20.3% Wedowee Pell City 20.8% Talladega Heflin 22.6% Gadsden Piedmont 25.6% Sylacauga Wedowee 26.7% Jacksonville Talladega 27.2% Anniston Gadsden 29.4% Hobson City Sylacauga 29.8% Jacksonville 31.2%

Anniston 31.7% Hobson City 41.3%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent Levels among Female-Headed Families with Children

What it measures: The percent of families with a female-headed householder and children under age 18, no husband present, and income below the federal poverty level, which is a nationwide standard. Importance: Shows social and economic need among the most at-risk families, which are disadvantaged by the absence of the traditional bread winner. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Percent of Female-Headed Families Below Poverty Level With Related Children Under 18 Years of Age, No Husband Present By County, 2011-2015 U.S. Alabama St. Clair Randolph Cherokee DeKalb Clay Cleburne Etowah Talladega Calhoun 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Where we stand: % of Area 1. At or below U.S. percentage: St. Clair Families 2. At or below Alabama percentage: St. Clair U.S. 40.5% Randolph Alabama 49.2% Cherokee St. Clair 38.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: DeKalb Randolph 44.5% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Clay Cherokee 47.2% Cleburne Etowah DeKalb 50.6% Talladega Clay 54.3% Calhoun Cleburne 55.6% Etowah 55.7%

Talladega 56.2% Calhoun 59.0%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent Levels among Female-Headed Families with Children, continued

Where we stand: % of Area 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Moody Families Trussville U.S. 40.5% Pell City Wedowee Alabama 49.2% Lineville Moody 16.9% Heflin Trussville 17.8% Fort Payne Pell City 23.6% Roanoke Oxford Wedowee 26.5% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus Lineville 34.3% Talladega Heflin 35.7% Gadsden Roanoke 37.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Sylacauga 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Hobson City Fort Payne 38.1% Jacksonville Oxford 38.6% Piedmont Talladega 42.4% Anniston Gadsden 46.9% Sylacauga 50.3% Hobson City 56.6% Jacksonville 57.6% Piedmont 58.6% Anniston 59.3%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Poverty Levels among the Elderly

What it measures: The percent of the population age 65 and over with income below the federal poverty level, which is a nationwide standard not adjusted for local cost-of-living factors. Importance: Shows economic need among a population segment living predominantly on fixed income. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Percent of Population Age 65 and Over Below the Poverty Level, by County 2011-2015

U.S. Alabama Clay St. Clair Calhoun Etowah Cleburne Talladega DeKalb Cherokee Randolph 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20%

Where we stand: Area Poverty % 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Clay U.S. 9.4% St. Clair Alabama 10.7% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above Clay 8.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Calhoun St. Clair 8.9% Etowah Calhoun 11.1% Cleburne Etowah 11.3% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Talladega Cleburne 11.7% Cherokee Talladega 11.9% DeKalb Cherokee 13.1% Randolph DeKalb 13.1% Randolph 17.4%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Poverty Levels among the Elderly, continued

Where we stand: Area Poverty % U.S. 9.4% 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Moody Alabama 10.7% Trussville Moody 2.5% Lineville Jacksonville Trussville 3.5% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus Lineville 5.5% Hobson City Jacksonville 8.1% Pell City Hobson City 9.9% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Pell City 10.3% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Wedowee 13.3% Anniston 13.6% Wedowee Fort Payne Piedmont 13.8% Anniston Oxford Gadsden 13.9% Piedmont Sylacauga Talladega 14.0% Gadsden Heflin Fort Payne 15.1% Talladega Roanoke Oxford 15.1% Sylacauga 15.3% Heflin 16.3% Roanoke 21.1%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Poverty Level among Families with Children Under 5 Years

What it measures: The percent of families with an income below poverty level who have the presence of related children less than 5 years of age. Importance: Poverty is at the root of most health and human service needs, especially among children. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Below Poverty Area 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Cleburne with Children <5 Cherokee U.S. 14.1% Clay Alabama 14.4% DeKalb Cleburne 6.9% St. Clair Cherokee 7.4% Talladega Etowah Clay 8.5% Calhoun DeKalb 8.9% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above St. Clair 10.5% 3. Within 10% of U.S. percentage: Randolph Talladega 13.7% 4. Over 10% above U.S. percentage: None Etowah 13.8% Calhoun 14.0% Randolph 14.9%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Poverty Level among Families with Children Under 5 Years, continued

Where we stand: 1. At or below U.S. percentage:

Heflin Wedowee Hobson City Piedmont Lineville Oxford Moody Fort Payne Trussville

2. At or below Alabama percentage: Same as above 3. Within 10% of U.S. percentage: Jacksonville 4. Over 10% above U.S. percentage: Pell City Anniston Talladega Roanoke Gadsden Sylacauga

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Households with Incomes Less than $25,000

What it measures: The percent of all households that have a total income that is less than $25,000. Importance: Families with incomes below poverty level have a higher potential for serious social and economic hardship. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Income less Area 1. At or below U.S. percentage: None than $25,000 2. At or below Alabama percentage: St. Clair U.S. 23.1% 3. Within 10% of U.S. percentage: Calhoun St. Clair 23.5% Cleburne Alabama 29.8% 4. Over 10% above U.S. percentage: DeKalb Calhoun 31.1% Cherokee Cleburne 32.7% Etowah DeKalb 33.4% Clay Cherokee 34.1% Randolph Etowah 34.3% Talladega Clay 35.6% Randolph 36.2%

Talladega 36.8%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Households with Incomes Less than $25,000, continued

Where we stand: % Income less 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Trussville Area Moody than $25,000 Oxford U.S. 23.1% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus Alabama 29.8% Pell City Trussville 11.6% 3. Within 10% of U.S. percentage: None Moody 16.0% 4. Over 10% above U.S. percentage: Oxford 21.1% Pell City 26.2% Fort Payne Fort Payne 34.8% Jacksonville Jacksonville 34.9% Roanoke Roanoke 37.4% Lineville Lineville 39.4% Sylacauga Sylacauga 40.0% Talladega Talladega 42.7% Gadsden Gadsden 44.2% Anniston Anniston 44.3% Wedowee Wedowee 44.5% Piedmont Heflin Piedmont 45.0% Hobson City Heflin 48.1% Hobson City 48.7%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent Levels among Female-Headed Households with Children Under 5 Years

Where we stand:

1. At or below U.S. percentage: Cleburne % Female Households Area with Children <5 in Poverty Clay U.S. 46.3% St. Clair Alabama 52.1% Cherokee Cleburne 14.9% Randolph Clay 28.4% Talladega St. Clair 34.5% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above Cherokee 34.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Etowah Randolph 39.8% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Calhoun Talladega 45.7% DeKalb Etowah 53.7% Calhoun 59.3% DeKalb 83.5%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent Levels among Female-Headed Households with Children Under 5 Years, continued

Where we stand: 1. At or below U.S. percentage: % Female Households Area with Children <5 in Heflin Trussville Poverty Hobson City Wedowee U.S. 46.3% Lineville Pell City Alabama 52.1% Moody Roanoke Heflin 0.0% Hobson City 0.0% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus Lineville 0.0% Oxford Moody 0.0% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Gadsden Trussville 0.0% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Talladega Wedowee 0.0% Sylacauga Pell City 38.9% Anniston Roanoke 45.5% Fort Payne Oxford 47.8% Jacksonville Gadsden 52.2% Talladega 59.0%

Sylacauga 64.5% Anniston 90.5% Fort Payne 100.0% Jacksonville 100.0%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of School Children Receiving Free/Reduced Cost Lunches

What it measures: The percent of all students, by system, who receive free or reduced cost lunches. Importance: This is an indicator of socioeconomic status and is a good predictor of school achievement and the need for additional resources for areas with a high percent. Source: Alabama Department of Education, State Board of Education Report Card 2014-2015

Where we stand: 1. 25% or more below Alabama percentage: Trussville 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus St. Clair 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Pell City Etowah Jacksonville Sylacauga Oxford 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Roanoke Piedmont Randolph Gadsden Calhoun Cherokee Clay Talladega County Cleburne Fort Payne DeKalb Anniston Talladega City

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Poverty among Children Under 18 Years

What it measures: The percent of children under 18 years of age who are below the federal poverty level Importance: The age and family status of children have an influence on their poverty rate. Children increase a family's chances of being poor by adding to their cost of living. Children in poverty are less likely to receive developmental and health care services that they need. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

% Children <18 Area Where we stand: in Poverty 1. At or below U.S. percentage: None U.S. 21.7% Alabama 27.3% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: St. Clair St. Clair 22.3% Clay Clay 22.5% DeKalb DeKalb 25.2% Cleburne Cleburne 26.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Randolph Randolph 28.3% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Cherokee Cherokee 30.1% Calhoun Calhoun 31.6% Etowah Etowah 31.7% Talladega Talladega 37.1%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Poverty among Children Under 18 Years, continued

Where we stand:

1. At or below U.S. percentage: Trussville Lineville % Children <18 in Moody Oxford Area Poverty

2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus U.S. 21.7% Fort Payne Alabama 27.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Roanoke Trussville 6.2% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Wedowee Lineville 14.0% Pell City Moody 15.9% Heflin Oxford 18.6% Piedmont Fort Payne 24.9% Jacksonville Roanoke 27.6% Sylacauga Wedowee 30.6% Talladega Pell City 30.7% Gadsden Heflin 36.0% Anniston Piedmont 37.5% Hobson City Jacksonville 42.8% Sylacauga 45.6%

Talladega 48.6% Gadsden 51.0% Anniston 52.8% Hobson City 69.2%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Children in Extreme Poverty

What it measures: The percent of children under 18 years of age who are below the extreme poverty level.

Importance: Children increase a family's chances of being poor by adding to their cost of living. Children in extreme poverty are unlikely to receive developmental and health care services that they need.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Children in 1. 25% or more below Alabama %: None Area Extreme 2. At or below Alabama %: Cherokee Poverty Cleburne Alabama 12.8% Clay Cherokee 9.7% DeKalb Cleburne 10.6% St. Clair Clay 11.4% 3. Within 10% of Alabama %: Etowah DeKalb 11.4% Calhoun St. Clair 12.0% 4. Over 10% above Alabama %: Talladega Etowah 13.4% Randolph Calhoun 13.9% Talladega 17.0% Randolph 17.8%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of All Births Covered by Medicaid

What it measures: The percent of all hospital births paid by Medicaid. Importance: The percent of births covered by Medicaid shows children born in poverty but with resources for primary medical coverage. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: % Medicaid Area Births 1. At or below U.S. rate: None Alabama 50.6% 2. At or below Alabama rate: St. Clair St. Clair 36.9% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Cleburne 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Talladega Cleburne 55.2% Calhoun Talladega 56.7% Etowah Calhoun 59.7% Cherokee Etowah 60.9% Clay Cherokee 61.1% Randolph Clay 63.5% DeKalb Randolph 63.9% DeKalb 64.8%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Children Under 6 Years with Parents in the Labor Force

What it measures: The percent of children under the age of 6, living with both parents or in a single-parent household, whose parents are in the labor force. Importance: A high percentage of parents in the labor force shows the need for child care for working parents or the need for programs to make parents employable (for those that are not in the labor force). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Percent of Children Under 6 Years of Age with Parents in Labor Force, by County 2011-2015

U.S. Alabama DeKalb Etowah Clay Cherokee Talladega Cleburne Randolph Calhoun St. Clair 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Where we stand: % Children <6 with 1. At or below U.S. percentage: DeKalb Area Parents in Labor Force Etowah U.S. 65.1% Clay Alabama 64.8% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above DeKalb 58.4% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Cherokee Etowah 64.0% Talladega Clay 64.2% Cleburne Cherokee 65.8% Randolph Talladega 67.1% Calhoun Cleburne 67.2% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: St. Clair Randolph 69.3% Calhoun 70.7% St. Clair 72.8%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Children Under 6 Years with Parents in the Labor Force, continued

Where we stand: 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Oxford % Children <6 with Hobson City Area Parents in Labor Gadsden Force Lineville U.S. 65.1% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above Alabama 64.8% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Wedowee Oxford 50.9% Sylacauga Hobson City 56.8% Jacksonville Gadsden 61.8% Anniston Lineville 62.8% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Wedowee 65.5% Sylacauga 66.7% Fort Payne Jacksonville 69.5% Trussville Piedmont Anniston 70.3% Roanoke Fort Payne 71.7% Talladega Trussville 72.4% Moody Piedmont 75.3% Pell City Roanoke 77.7% Heflin Talladega 79.4% Moody 81.6% Pell City 81.6% Heflin 84.2%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Family Well-Being

Divorce Rate

What it measure: The number of divorces per 1,000 people by county of divorce decree. Importance: Divorce creates financial and social hardships, particularly when children are left in single-parent-headed families. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: 1. At or below U.S. rate: DeKalb 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above, plus Clay St. Clair Cherokee 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Cleburne 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Randolph Talladega Calhoun Etowah

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Juvenile Court Case Rate – Delinquency

What it measures: Juvenile court cases per 1,000 persons age 10-17. Delinquent acts are criminal violations, for which and adult also could be prosecuted. Status offenses are illegal only because the person committing them is a juvenile (e.g. truancy); in other words, adults cannot be arrested for status offenses. Importance: A high rate of juvenile cases is an indicator of social problems among the teenage population; a low rate may indicate that such problems are handled informally or through prevention methods, rather than that they occur less frequently. Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Where we stand: Juvenile Court Area Cases Alabama 20.7 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Cherokee Clay Cherokee 10.8 Talladega Clay 13.6 Cleburne Talladega 15.0 2. Below Alabama rate: Above, plus Cleburne 15.3 Randolph Randolph 16.3 Etowah Etowah 18.5 St. Clair 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None St. Clair 18.7 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: DeKalb DeKalb 22.8 Calhoun Calhoun 24.0

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Juvenile Court Case Rate – Delinquency, continued

Where we stand: Juvenile Status Area Offenses 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Etowah Alabama 6.5 Cleburne Etowah 1.5 Clay Cleburne 4.1 DeKalb 2. Below Alabama rate: Above Clay 4.3 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None DeKalb 4.6 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Talladega Talladega 8.5 Calhoun Calhoun 9.9 Cherokee Cherokee 22.7 Randolph • St. Clair •

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Teen Pregnancy Rate

What it measures: The pregnancy rate for females 10-19 years of age per 1,000 females age 10-19. Importance: Teen pregnancies often result in health problems for mother and baby, and parenting problems can create potentially serious social and economic hardship. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand:

1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Cleburne Area Rate per 1,000 Alabama 20.7 2. Below Alabama rate: Cleburne Cleburne 13.1 St. Clair St. Clair 20.3 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: DeKalb DeKalb 22.2 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Talladega Talladega 23.3 Calhoun Calhoun 23.6 Etowah Etowah 25.7 Cherokee Cherokee 25.8 Randolph Randolph 28.9 Clay Clay 31.0

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect Incidence Reports Referred for Investigation

What it measures: The number of child abuse and neglect incident reports referred for Child Protective Services investigations in 2011, per 1,000 population, aged 0-17 years. Importance: Children who are abused or neglected suffer harm that may have significant, long- term negative impact on their social, emotional, and academic development. Source: Alabama Department of human Resources, Summary Data for NCANDS, Calendar Year 2015

Where we stand:

1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: St. Clair Reports per Area 2. Below Alabama rate: Above 1,000 Children 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Alabama 22.1 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: DeKalb St. Clair 16.5 Clay DeKalb 25.7 Talladega Clay 27.2 Randolph Talladega 28.3 Calhoun Randolph 31.1 Cherokee Calhoun 32.9 Cleburne Cherokee 35.5 Etowah Cleburne 37.3 Etowah 41.1

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Rate of Substantiated Child Abuse/Neglect Cases

What it measures: The child abuse/neglect rate for victims in reports disposed by disposition per 1,000 children age 0-17. Importance: Children who are abused or neglected suffer harm that may have significant, long- term negative impact on their social, emotional, and academic development. Source: Alabama Department of human Resources, Summary Data for NCANDS, Calendar Year 2015

Where we stand: Abuse Cases Area per 1,000 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Clay Children 2. Below Alabama rate: Above, plus Alabama 5.5 St. Clair Clay 3.7 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None St. Clair 5.1 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Calhoun Calhoun 7.3 DeKalb DeKalb 7.7 Randolph Randolph 8.1 Talladega Talladega 9.5 Etowah Etowah 9.9 Cleburne Cleburne 10.6 Cherokee Cherokee 11.0

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Population 65 Years and Older Living Alone

What it measures: The percent of the population age 65 and over living in one-person households. Importance: Senior adults living alone are statistically at much greater risk for social and health conditions requiring services. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Elderly Living Area Alone 1. At or below U.S. rate: Cherokee U.S. 26.6% St. Clair Alabama 27.5% DeKalb Cherokee 23.3%

2. At or below Alabama rate: Above, plus St. Clair 24.4% Cleburne DeKalb 25.4% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Calhoun Cleburne 26.9% Etowah Calhoun 27.9% Clay Etowah 28.6% Talladega Clay 28.7% Randolph Talladega 29.0% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: None Randolph 29.2%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Population 65 Years and Older Living Alone, continued

% Elderly Where we stand: Area Living Alone 1. At or below U.S. rate: Hobson City U.S. 26.6% Trussville Alabama 27.5% Oxford Hobson City 22.0% Moody Trussville 23.0% Pell City Oxford 23.5% 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above, plus Moody 23.9% Jacksonville Pell City 24.1% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Roanoke Jacksonville 27.0% Lineville Roanoke 28.7% Lineville 29.6% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Sylacauga Sylacauga 33.8% Piedmont Piedmont 34.7% Talladega Talladega 34.9% Anniston Anniston 35.2% Heflin Heflin 35.6% Gadsden Gadsden 36.2% Fort Payne Fort Payne 39.8% Wedowee Wedowee 44.4%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Births to Mothers with Less than a 12th Grade Education

What it measure: The percent of births to all mothers with less than 12 years of education by perinatal region. Due to data limitations, each county is represented by its regional average. This includes only births where the educational attainment of the mother was known. Importance: Having children without obtaining 12 years of education can reduce employment opportunities and cause potentially serious social and economic hardship. Source: 2014 Alabama Kids Count Data Book

Where we stand: % Births to Mothers Area without High School 1. 25% or more below Alabama percentage: None Diploma 2. At or below Alabama percentage: St. Clair Alabama 16.3% Talladega St. Clair 12.8% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Calhoun Talladega 15.8% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Cleburne Calhoun 17.1% Etowah Cleburne 18.0% Clay Etowah 18.1% Cherokee Clay 18.5% Randolph Cherokee 21.8% DeKalb Randolph 22.3% DeKalb 27.9%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Adults without a High School Diploma

What it measures: The percent of all adults over 25 years of age without a high school diploma. Importance: Having the amount of education required to receive a high school diploma increases knowledge and may improve employment opportunities. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Without Area Diploma 1. At or below U.S. rate: None U.S. 13.3% 2. At or below Alabama rate: None Alabama 15.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: St. Clair St. Clair 16.8% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Etowah Calhoun Etowah 17.5% Cherokee Calhoun 19.1% Talladega Cherokee 20.5% Randolph Talladega 20.7% Cleburne Randolph 24.3% Clay Cleburne 24.9% DeKalb Clay 24.9% DeKalb 27.6%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Teenage Birth Rate

What it measures: The birth rate for females 15-19 years of age per 1,000 females age 15-19. Importance: Females having children as teenagers can often result in health problems for mother and baby, and parenting problems can create potentially serious social and economic hardship. Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

Where we stand: Birth Rate Area per 1,000 1. At or below U.S. rate: None U.S. 22.3% 2. At or below Alabama rate: St. Clair Alabama 46.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Calhoun St. Clair 46.6% Talladega Calhoun 49.3% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Randolph Talladega 51.2% Cherokee Randolph 51.5% Clay Cherokee 51.6% Etowah Clay 52.9% Cleburne DeKalb Etowah 53.7% Cleburne 57.4% DeKalb 59.1%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Births to Unmarried Women

What it means: Births to unmarried females aged 10-19 computed as a percentage of all births to females aged 10-19 and births to unmarried females of all ages computed as a percentage of births to females of all ages. This includes only births where the marital status is known. Importance: Being born to a single mother increases the chances of children living in lower income environments. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

% Unmarried Where we stand: Area Births 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Cleburne U.S. 43.4% St. Clair Alabama 43.8% Cherokee Cleburne 30.1% Etowah St. Clair 33.6% DeKalb Cherokee 34.9% Clay Etowah 36.7% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus DeKalb 39.6% Calhoun Clay 40.5% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Randolph Calhoun 43.7% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Talladega Randolph 46.2% Talladega 56.9%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Single-Parent Families with Children Under 18 Years

What it measures: The percent of all families that are headed by a single-parent and have the presence of their own children less than 18 years of age. Importance: This measure shows the lack of family cohesiveness and the need to support services to allow the family head of household to provide for their family independently. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Single-parent Area Families 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Cleburne U.S. 16.8% Cherokee Alabama 18.1% DeKalb Cleburne 11.7% St. Clair Cherokee 13.1% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus DeKalb 13.2% Etowah St. Clair 13.2% Randolph Etowah 17.0% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Clay Randolph 17.4% Calhoun Clay 18.7% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Talladega Calhoun 19.3% Talladega 20.5%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Single-Parent Families with Children Under 18 Years, continued

Where we stand: % Single- Area parent 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Trussville Families Moody U.S. 16.8% Fort Payne Alabama 18.1% Oxford Trussville 8.5% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above Moody 10.5% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Fort Payne 11.9% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Wedowee Oxford 14.5% Pell City Wedowee 20.6% Pell City 24.0% Heflin Heflin 25.1% Gadsden Gadsden 25.7% Jacksonville Jacksonville 26.9% Piedmont Piedmont 27.1% Lineville Lineville 27.2% Anniston Anniston 27.5% Roanoke Roanoke 29.6% Talladega City Talladega 29.8% Sylacauga Sylacauga 30.8% Hobson City Hobson City 33.8%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Single-Parent Families with Children Under 6 Years

What it measures: The percent of all families that are headed by a single-parent and have the presence of their own children less than 6 years of age. Importance: This shows the lack of family cohesiveness and the need for support services to allow the family head of household to provide for their family independently. Children under 6 years of age in single-parent families may have more developmental needs. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Single-parent 1. At or below U.S. percentage: DeKalb Area Families w Children <6

Cleburne U.S. 3.8% St. Clair Alabama 4.3% Cherokee DeKalb 2.0% Etowah Cleburne 2.2% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above, plus St. Clair 2.8% Clay Cherokee 3.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Etowah 3.8% Clay 3.8% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Calhoun Calhoun 4.8% Randolph Randolph 5.9% Talladega Talladega 6.0%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Percent of Single-Parent Families with Children Under 6 Years, continued

Where we stand: % Single- Area parent Families 1. At or below U.S. percentage: Trussville w Children <6 Oxford U.S. 3.8% Fort Payne Alabama 4.3% Trussville 0.9% Hobson City Oxford 1.0% Wedowee Fort Payne 2.3% Moody Hobson City 2.9% 2. At or below Alabama percentage: Above Wedowee 3.1% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Piedmont Moody 3.1% 4. Over 10% above Alabama percentage: Pell City Piedmont 4.5% Jacksonville Pell City 5.1% Heflin Jacksonville 5.6% Gadsden Heflin 6.8% Sylacauga Gadsden 7.5% Sylacauga 8.3% Talladega Talladega 10.0% Lineville Lineville 10.2% Anniston Anniston 10.8% Roanoke Roanoke 16.4%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Juvenile Drug Arrest Rate

What it measures: The number of juvenile arrests for sale and possession of illegal drugs per 10,000 population under 18 years of age. Importance: Drug arrests among juveniles show the pervasiveness of the drug problem in an area and the need for alternative treatment programs and educational programs in order to preempt future social costs from drug related crime. Source: State of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

Where we stand: Juvenile Drug Area Arrest Rate per 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Clay 10,000 Cleburne Alabama 2.2 Randolph Clay 0.0 Talladega Cleburne 0.0 DeKalb Randolph 0.0 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above Talladega 0.0 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None DeKalb 0.6 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Etowah Etowah 3.5 Calhoun Calhoun 4.2 Cherokee Cherokee 5.6 St. Clair St. Clair 7.0

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Adult Drug Arrest Rate

What it measures: The number of arrests for the sale and possession of illegal drugs per 10,000 adults 18 years of age and older. Importance: Adult drug arrest rates show the pervasiveness of the drug problem in an area and the need for alternative treatment programs and educational programs. Source: State of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency

Where we stand: Adult Drug Arrest 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Clay Area Rate per 10,000 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above, plus Alabama 26.3 DeKalb Clay 17.0 Talladega DeKalb 23.1 Randolph Talladega 23.6 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Randolph 25.6 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: St. Clair St. Clair 40.6 Calhoun Calhoun 47.3 Etowah Cleburne Etowah 57.5 Cherokee Cleburne 74.6 Cherokee 115.7

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Social Services

Local Support for Public Schools, in Mills of Property Tax

What it measures: Mills of local property tax support for public schools. A mill is one-tenth of a percent. The Alabama millage is the median of district mills statewide.

Importance: Local tax effort, as measured primarily by the property tax rate, is a key indicator of public support for public schools.

Source: Alabama Department of Revenue, PARCA survey

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Local Support for Public Schools, in Mills of Property Tax, continued Where we stand:

Property tax for 1. 25% or more above Alabama rate: Trussville Area Sylacauga Schools (Mills) Fort Payne Alabama 17.0 Gadsden Trussville 30.1 Cherokee Sylacauga 28.5 Fort Payne 22.0 2. At or above Alabama rate: Above, plus Gadsden 22.0 Piedmont Cherokee 22.0 Anniston Piedmont 20.0 Calhoun Anniston 19.8 Jacksonville Calhoun 19.3 Oxford Jacksonville 18.5 DeKalb Oxford 18.5 Talladega DeKalb 18.3 Etowah Talladega 17.6 Cleburne Etowah 17.3 Cleburne 17.0 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Pell City 13.5 Clay 13.5 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Pell City St. Clair 13.5 Clay Roanoke 12.0 St. Clair Randolph 12.0 Roanoke Randolph

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Local Support for Public Schools, in Dollars per Student

What it measures: Revenues to public schools from local taxes, fees, and contributions, per student in average daily membership. Importance: Local financial support for public schools is an important measure of the opportunity available to students for a high-quality education. Source: Alabama Department of Education, Education Report Card 2016

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Local Support for Public Schools, in Dollars per Student, continued

Local Revenue per Where we stand: Area ADM Alabama $3,251 1. 25% or more above Alabama rate: Jacksonville Jacksonville $6,054 Trussville Trussville $5,768 Oxford $3,857 2. Above Alabama rate: Oxford Anniston $3,410 Anniston Talladega $3,018

Cherokee $2,951 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Talladega Sylacauga $2,789 Cherokee Gadsden $2,584

Pell City $2,475 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Sylacauga Randolph $2,472 Gadsden Calhoun $2,432 Pell City Piedmont $2,322 Randolph Calhoun Fort Payne $2,268 Piedmont St. Clair $2,145 Fort Payne Talladega City $2,111 St. Clair Roanoke $1,955 Talladega City DeKalb $1,901 Roanoke Etowah $1,848 DeKalb Cleburne $1,739 Etowah Clay $1,671 Cleburne Clay

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Human Relations

Women-Owned Businesses

What it measures: Firms owned by women as a percentage of all firms. A woman-owned business is one owned by a female sole proprietor or, in the case of firms with multiple owners, a business in which 51 percent or more of stock interest, claims, or rights are held by females.

Importance: Business ownership among women is an indicator of opportunity and achievement.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Survey of Business Owners

Where we stand: % Women-owned Area 1. Above U.S. percentage: Talladega Businesses U.S. 35.8% Cherokee Alabama 36.8% Talladega 38.6% 2. Above Alabama percentage: Above Cherokee 37.9% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Calhoun Calhoun 34.2% Etowah Etowah 33.7% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: DeKalb DeKalb 33.0% Randolph Randolph 31.1% St. Clair St. Clair 30.3% Clay Clay 29.9% Cleburne Cleburne 26.8%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Minority-Owned Businesses

What it measures: Firms owned by minorities as a percentage of all firms. Minority businesses are those owned by Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.

Importance: Minority business ownership is an indicator of opportunity and achievement.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Survey of Business Owners

Where we stand: % Minority- Area owned 1. At or above U.S percentage: None Businesses 2. At or above Alabama percentage: None U.S. 28.8% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Talladega Alabama 24.6% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Randolph Talladega 24.1% Calhoun Randolph 14.0% Clay Calhoun 13.9% Etowah Clay 13.6% St. Clair Etowah 13.2% St. Clair 8.2% Cleburne Cleburne 5.4% DeKalb DeKalb 5.3% Cherokee Cherokee 4.4%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Ethnic Diversity of Counties

What it measures: This indicator measures the ratio of minority to white population percentages (minority percentage divided by white percentage).

Importance: Population diversity within counties is an indicator of residential integration within the region.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

Population Diversity among Municipalities by County, 2015

U.S. Alabama Talladega Calhoun Randolph Etowah Clay St. Clair DeKalb Cherokee Cleburne 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Where we stand: Ratio of Minority to Area White Population 1. At or above 25% of U.S. ratio: Talladega U.S. 29.6% 2. At or above 25% of Alabama ratio: None Alabama 43.9% 3. Within 50% of Alabama ratio: Calhoun Talladega 53.8% Randolph Calhoun 32.2% Etowah Randolph 28.4% 4. More than 50% outside Alabama ratio: Clay Etowah 23.2% St. Clair Clay 20.5% DeKalb St. Clair 13.4% Cherokee DeKalb 7.7% Cleburne Cherokee 7.4% Cleburne 5.3%

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Public Safety

Total Reported Crime Rate

What it measures: The total number of crimes reported by all jurisdictions in the county through the FBI’s uniform crime reporting program, divided by the population in units of 100,000. Importance: Crime is a direct attack on the quality of life in a community, and a high crime rate is an indicator of social disintegration. Source: State of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “2015 Crime in Alabama” and FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2015

Total Crime in 2015 Per 100,000 Population, by County

U.S. Alabama Clay Cleburne St. Clair Randolph DeKalb Cherokee Calhoun Talladega Etowah 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Where we stand: Area Index 1. At or below U.S. rate: Clay U.S. 2,859.6 Cleburne Alabama 3,347.3 St. Clair Clay 1,026.1 Randolph Cleburne 1,213.1 DeKalb St. Clair 1,448.3 Cherokee 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above Randolph 1,548.5 3. Within 10% of Alabama ratio: None DeKalb 2,332.2 4. Over 10% above Alabama ratio: Calhoun Cherokee 2,712.3 Talladega Calhoun 4,015.9 Etowah Talladega 4,531.0 Etowah 4,545.8

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Total Reported Crime Rate, Continued

Where we stand: Area Index U.S. 2,859.6

1. At or below U.S. rate: Pell City Alabama 3,347.3 Heflin Pell City 232.1 Lineville Heflin 567.4 Moody Lineville 1,908.9 Fort Payne Moody 1,970.7 Roanoke Fort Payne 2,293.3 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above Roanoke 2,591.3 3. Within 10% of Alabama ratio: None Jacksonville 4,477.1 4. Over 10% above Alabama ratio: Jacksonville Wedowee 4,500.0 Wedowee Oxford Oxford 4,561.2 Sylacauga Sylacauga 5,816.0 Piedmont Piedmont 6,166.3 Talladega Talladega 7,028.6 Gadsden Gadsden 8,581.4 Anniston Anniston 10,104.9

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Total Reported Violent Crime Rate

What it measures: The total number of violent crimes reported by all jurisdictions in the county through the FBI’s uniform crime reporting program, divided by the population in units of 100,000. Violent crimes are offenses perpetrated against a person (or persons) with a high risk of injury or death to the victim. Crimes included in this category are homicide, rape, robbery, and assault. Importance: Violent crime is a direct attack on the quality of life in a community, and a high violent crime rate is one of the most serious indicators of social disintegration. Source: State of Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “2015 Crime in Alabama” and FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2015

Where we stand: 1. At or below U.S. rate: Cleburne Area Rate DeKalb U.S. 372.6 Randolph Alabama 459.0 St. Clair Cleburne 86.18 Clay DeKalb 234.68 Cherokee Randolph 267.74 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above St. Clair 301.92 3. Within 10% of Alabama ratio: Talladega Clay 327.17 4. Over 10% above Alabama ratio: Etowah Cherokee 342.4 Calhoun Talladega 474.82 Etowah 528.65 Calhoun 688.89

PEOPLE – Quality of Life

Total Reported Violent Crime Rate, Continued

Where we stand: 1. At or below U.S. rate: Pell City Heflin Area Rate U.S. 372.6 Fort Payne Alabama 459.0 Moody Pell City 14.5 Oxford Heflin 113.5 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above, plus Fort Payne 155.7 Jacksonville Moody 182.0 Sylacauga Oxford 336.3 3. Within 10% of Alabama ratio: None Jacksonville 410.7 4. Over 10% above Alabama ratio: Roanoke Sylacauga 434.0 Roanoke 673.1 Piedmont Piedmont 701.7 Wedowee Wedowee 750.0 Talladega Talladega 762.2 Lineville Lineville 780.9 Gadsden Gadsden 1018.0 Anniston Anniston 2725.7

PEOPLE – Community Health

Community Health

Physical Health

Infant Mortality Rate

What it measures: The rate of infant deaths per 1,000 live births by county of residence. Importance: The infant mortality rate reflects the availability and quality of prenatal and postnatal health care for mothers and infants. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Infant Mortality Area Rate per 1,000 1. At or below U.S. rate: N/A Alabama 8.3 2. At or below Alabama rate: Cleburne Cleburne 0.0 Cherokee Cherokee 4.0 St. Clair Calhoun St. Clair 4.8 Clay Calhoun 6.4 Talladega Clay 6.8 Randolph Talladega 7.1 DeKalb Randolph 8.0 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None DeKalb 8.3 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Etowah Etowah 9.9

PEOPLE – Community Health

Infant Mortality Rate for Non-White Children

What it measures: The rate of infant deaths per 1,000 live births for all non-white children, by county of residence. There are no deaths reported for Cherokee County, Cleburne County, DeKalb County and Randolph. Importance: The infant mortality rate reflects the availability and quality of prenatal and postnatal health care for mothers and infants. Mothers in urban communities often lack access to prenatal and postnatal services. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Infant Mortality 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Cherokee Area Rate for Non-White Cleburne Children DeKalb Alabama 14.4 Cherokee 0.0 Randolph Cleburne 0.0 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above DeKalb 0.0 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: St. Clair Randolph 0.0 Calhoun St. Clair 11.1 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Etowah Calhoun 12.9 Talladega Etowah 16.2 Clay Talladega 17.2 Clay 40.0

PEOPLE – Community Health

Low-Weight Birth Rate

What it measures: Percent of low-weight births by county of residence; the data include only births with known birth weight. Importance: Babies born with healthy birth weight have lower rates of health and developmental problems as they mature, which makes this a leading indicator of social well- being. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Low-Weight Area Birth % Alabama 10.4 1. At or below U.S. rate: None Cleburne 8.0 2. At or below Alabama rate: Cleburne Clay 8.1 Clay DeKalb 8.4 DeKalb Etowah Etowah 8.4 Calhoun Calhoun 9.0 St. Clair St. Clair 9.9 Randolph Randolph 10.0 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Talladega Talladega 10.8 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Cherokee Cherokee 14.3

PEOPLE – Community Health

Total Death Rate

What it measures: The total number of annual deaths per 1,000 population; the data are unadjusted for the age distribution, which means that higher rates are expected where more of the population is elderly. Importance: The death rate is an important indicator of overall health status within the population. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Total Death 1. At or below U.S. rate: None Area Rate per 1,000 2. At or below Alabama rate: St. Clair Alabama 10.7 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: DeKalb St. Clair 10.4 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Talladega DeKalb 11.6 Calhoun Talladega 12.5 Cherokee Calhoun 12.8 Cleburne Cherokee 13.3 Randolph Cleburne 13.7 Etowah Randolph 13.8 Clay Etowah 13.9 Clay 14

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Heart Disease

What it measures: The total number of annual deaths from heart diseases per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution). Importance: Heart disease is the leading cause of death within the Alabama population. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Heart Disease Area Death Rate per 1. At or below U.S. rate: None 100,000 2. At or below Alabama rate: St. Clair U.S. 168.5 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Alabama 266.9 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Talladega St. Clair 256.1 DeKalb Talladega 294.3 Etowah DeKalb 310.7 Calhoun Etowah 384.3 Cherokee Calhoun 391.8 Cleburne Cherokee 409.9 Clay Cleburne 426.2 Randolph Clay 464.8 Randolph 467.0

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Cancer

What it measures: The total number of annual deaths from malignant neoplasms (various forms of cancer) per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution). Importance: Cancer is the second-leading cause of death within the Alabama population. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Cancer Death Area Rate per 1. At or below U.S. rate: None 100,000 2. At or below Alabama rate: Cleburne U.S. 158.5 DeKalb Alabama 213.0 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: St. Clair Cleburne 206.4 Calhoun DeKalb 206.7 Talladega St. Clair 214.8 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Randolph Calhoun 221.4 Cherokee Talladega 230.0 Etowah Randolph 251.1 Clay Cherokee 251.4 Etowah 260.1 Clay 309.8

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Lung Cancer

What it measures: The total number of annual deaths from malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchus, and lung per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution). Importance: Lung cancer is one of the leading form of cancer death within the Alabama population. It is strongly linked with smoking. Sources: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics.

Where we stand: Lung Cancer Area 1. At or below U.S. rate: None Death Rate 2. At or below Alabama rate: Randolph per 100,000 Cleburne Alabama 61.4 Calhoun Randolph 57.3 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Cherokee Cleburne 59.9 St. Clair Calhoun 61.4 Talladega Cherokee 65.7 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: DeKalb St. Clair 66.6 Etowah Clay Talladega 66.8 DeKalb 73.1 Etowah 75.7 Clay 95.9

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Unintentional Injuries

What it measures: The total number of deaths due to unintentional injuries per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution). The main causes of these deaths are from motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, fires, suffocation and poisonings. Importance: Death from unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of death within the Alabama population, and the leading cause among Alabamians between the ages of 1 and 44. Many of these deaths are preventable. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Accident Death Where we stand: Area Rate per 100,000 1. At or below U.S. rate: None U.S. 43.2 2. At or below Alabama rate: Randolph Alabama 52.0 Calhoun Randolph 30.8 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: St. Clair Calhoun 50.2 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Etowah St. Clair 56.3 Talladega Etowah 58.2 Talladega 61.8 Cleburne Cleburne 73.2 Cherokee Cherokee 73.5 Clay Clay 73.8 DeKalb DeKalb 75.9

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Suicide

What it measures: The number of deaths by suicide per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution). Importance: Suicide is the eleventh-ranked cause of death among the Alabama population, and rises to third place among those between the ages of 15 and 34. It is an indicator of mental health of individuals as well as the availability of mental health treatment and services in a community. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Suicide Death Area Rate per 1. At or below U.S. rate: Cleburne 100,000 Cherokee U.S. 13.3 Alabama 15.4 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above Cleburne 6.7 Etowah Cherokee 7.7 Clay Etowah 14.6 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: DeKalb Clay 14.8 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: St. Clair DeKalb 16.9 Calhoun St. Clair 17.2 Talladega Calhoun 20.8 Randolph Talladega 24.7 Randolph 26.4

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Liver Disease and Cirrhosis

What it measures: The total number of deaths from liver disease and cirrhosis per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution). Importance: Liver disease and cirrhosis are among the leading causes of death among the Alabama population. A leading cause is chronic alcoholism, which is susceptible to prevention activities. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Liver Disease Area Death Rate 1. At or below U.S. rate: None per 100,000 2. At or below Alabama rate: Clay Alabama 14.7 Cleburne Clay 7.4 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Talladega Cleburne 13.3 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: DeKalb Talladega 14.8 St. Clair DeKalb 16.9 Etowah St. Clair 17.2 Randolph Etowah 21.3 Calhoun Randolph 22.0 Cherokee Calhoun 24.2 Cherokee 30.9

PEOPLE – Community Health

Death Rate from Homicide

What it measures: The number of deaths caused by homicide per 100,000 population (unadjusted for age distribution), including deaths occurring because of legal intervention. Importance: Homicide is one of the leading causes of death among the Alabama population. It is an indicator of violence and a significant public safety issue. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: Homicide Death Area Rate per 100,000 1. At or below U.S. rate: None Alabama 9.7 2. At or below Alabama rate: Cleburne Cleburne 0.0 St. Clair Etowah St. Clair 1.1 Randolph Etowah 1.9 Clay Randolph 4.4 DeKalb Clay 7.4 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None DeKalb 8.4 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Calhoun Calhoun 13.0 Cherokee Cherokee 15.5 Talladega Talladega 22.3

PEOPLE – Community Health

Licensed Physicians per 1,000 Population

What it measures: The number of licensed physicians per 1,000 population in each county. No adjustment is made for the proximity of physicians in neighboring counties.

Importance: The number of physicians, dentists, and hospitals influences the ability of residents to access health care.

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

Where we stand: Physicians Area per 1,000 1. 25% or more above Alabama rate: Etowah Alabama 0.63 2. At or above Alabama rate: Etowah Calhoun Etowah 0.79 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Calhoun 0.65 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: DeKalb Alabama 0.63 Clay DeKalb 0.44 Randolph Clay 0.37 Talladega Randolph 0.35 Cleburne Talladega 0.32 St. Clair Cleburne 0.27 Cherokee St. Clair 0.24 Cherokee 0.23

PEOPLE – Community Health

Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population

What it measures: The number of general hospital beds available per 1,000 population. No adjustment is made for the availability of hospital beds in adjacent counties. Importance: The number of physicians, dentists, and hospitals influences the ability of residents to access health care. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Health Care Facilities

Where we stand: Beds per Area 1. 25% or more above Alabama rate: Etowah 1,000 Calhoun Alabama 3.36 2. At or above Alabama rate: Above, plus Etowah 6.11 Clay Talladega Calhoun 4.82 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Clay 3.93 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Cherokee Talladega 3.56 DeKalb Cherokee 2.33 Randolph Dekalb 1.89 St. Clair Randolph 0.66 Cleburne St. Clair 0.45 Cleburne 0.00

PEOPLE – Community Health

Adult Obesity Rate

What it measures: The estimated percentage of people at risk from obesity among adults aged 20 and older. Obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30.0 kg or higher. Importance: Obesity causes many health risks, including diabetes, and has received increasing attention as a health problem in the U.S. Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

Where we stand: Area Obesity % 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: None Alabama 33.6% 2. At or below Alabama rate: Cleburne Cleburne 30.0% DeKalb DeKalb 30.6% Calhoun Calhoun 32.0% Cherokee Cherokee 32.7% St. Clair St. Clair 33.1% Randolph Randolph 33.2% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Etowah Etowah 34.7% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Talladega Talladega 37.6% Clay Clay 37.7%

PEOPLE – Community Health

Percent of People without Medical Insurance

What it measures: Estimated percent of people who have no medical insurance. Importance: Without insurance, the cost of medical services can lead to economic hardship. A higher percentage of uninsured can also result in inferior health within the community. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Health Assistance Data

Where we stand: Area % Uninsured 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: None Alabama 11.9% Talladega 11.2% 2. At or below Alabama rate: Talladega Calhoun 11.4% Calhoun St. Clair 11.5% St. Clair Cherokee 11.7% Cherokee 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Etowah Etowah 12.0% Cleburne Cleburne 12.1% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Randolph Randolph 13.7% Clay Clay 14.4% DeKalb DeKalb 17.6%

PEOPLE – Community Health

Teenage Mothers Who Smoke During Pregnancy

What it measures: Percent of mothers age 10-19 who smoke during pregnancy. Importance: Smoking greatly increases the risk of health problems for mother and child. Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: % 10-19 who 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: None Area Smoke during Pregnancy 2. At or below Alabama rate: Etowah Alabama 10.9% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Calhoun Etowah 9.7% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Cleburne Calhoun 11.2% Cherokee Cleburne 12.5% DeKalb Cherokee 14.8% Talladega DeKalb 15.2% Clay Talladega 15.2% St. Clair Clay 16.7% Randolph St. Clair 23.3% Randolph 24.2%

PEOPLE – Community Health

Percent of Births with Inadequate Prenatal Care

What it measures: Percent of all births, by county of residence that received less than adequate prenatal care. Importance: Inadequate prenatal care can lead to a higher infant mortality rate, as well as diminished health for those children in the future. The presence of inadequate prenatal care also shows where additional post-natal care may be needed and where resources for those services need to be directed.

Source: Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Center for Health Statistics

Where we stand: % Inadequate Area 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Calhoun Prenatal Care Cleburne Alabama 24.7% 2. At or below Alabama rate: Above, plus Calhoun 15.8% St. Clair Cleburne 15.9% Clay St. Clair 19.6% Randolph Clay 19.7% Talladega Randolph 22.6% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Talladega 23.9% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Cherokee Cherokee 30.6% Etowah Etowah 35.6% DeKalb DeKalb 40.2%

PEOPLE – Voter Participation

Voter Participation

Voter Registration Percentage

What it measures: The percentage of the voting age population registered to vote (December 2012).

Importance: Voting is a basic measure of a community’s civic engagement. High rates show that citizens are connected and feel empowered, low rates point to lack of public engagement and interest or trust in the democratic process.

Source: Alabama Secretary of State

Where we stand: Area Registration % 1. 25% or more above Alabama rate: None Alabama 78.9% 2. At or above Alabama rate: Cleburne Randolph 86.5% Clay Clay 84.1% Randolph Cleburne 78.9% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Cherokee St. Clair 77.6% Talladega Etowah 75.1% Calhoun Calhoun 73.8% Etowah Talladega 71.6% St. Clair Cherokee 71.1% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: DeKalb DeKalb 69.4%

PEOPLE – Voter Participation

Percent of Registered Voters Who Voted

What it measures: The percentage of the people registered to vote who voted in the 2012 General Election.

Source: Alabama Secretary of State

Where we stand: % of Registered 1. 25% or more above Alabama rate: None Area Voters who Voted 2. At or above Alabama rate: Cleburne Alabama 72.5% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Etowah Cleburne 74.5% Calhoun Etowah 70.8% Talladega Calhoun 70.6% St. Clair Talladega 70.2% Clay St. Clair 69.4% Randolph Clay 69.3% Cherokee Randolph 68.6% DeKalb Cherokee 68.2% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: None DeKalb 67.5%

PROSPERITY

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Economy and Jobs

Labor Force, Employment & Wages

Average Annual Pay

What it measures: The average annual pay of persons employed by county, state and country. Importance: Indicates whether the local economy has high or low paying job opportunities. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

Where we stand: Average Annual Area Pay 1. At or above U.S. average: None U.S. $52,942 2. At or above Alabama average: Talladega Alabama $44,273 3. Within 10% of Alabama average: Cleburne 4. Over 10% below Alabama average: Calhoun Talladega $44,312 St. Clair Cleburne $43,050 Etowah Calhoun $36,795 DeKalb St. Clair $35,302 Cherokee Etowah $35,215 Clay DeKalb $34,059 Randolph Cherokee $33,045 Clay $31,895

Randolph $31,112

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Unemployment Rate

What it measures: The unemployment rate is based on the total number of employed persons as a percentage of the civilian labor force, both employed and unemployed. Importance: Individuals and families need consistent employment to remain strong and self- sufficient Source: Alabama Department of Labor, Labor Market Information Division

Where we stand: Umemployment Area Rate 1. At or below U.S. rate: None U.S. 4.9% 2. At or below Alabama rate: Cherokee Alabama 6.0% St. Clair Cherokee 5.2% Randolph Etowah St. Clair 5.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Cleburne Randolph 5.7% Clay Etowah 6.0% DeKalb Cleburne 6.1% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Calhoun Clay 6.2% Talladega DeKalb 6.2% Calhoun 6.7%

Talladega 6.8%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Labor Force Participation Rate

What it measures: The civilian labor force divided by the population above the age of 16. The civilian labor force includes persons who are employed and unemployed. Importance: Low unemployment, a skilled labor force, and an adequate number of jobs for the available workforce are all signs of economic growth. Without these, a community may struggle to maintain a healthy economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Where we stand: Labor Force Area 1. At or above U.S. rate: None Participation Rate 2. At or above Alabama rate: None U.S. 61.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: St. Clair Alabama 55.4% Talladega St. Clair 55.2% Cherokee Talladega 54.0% DeKalb Cherokee 52.6% Etowah DeKalb 52.0% Randolph Etowah 51.9% Clay Randolph 51.6% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Calhoun Clay 50.4% Cleburne Calhoun 49.4% Cleburne 47.6%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Labor Force Growth Rate

What it measures: The 2015 civilian labor force in comparison with the 2014 civilian labor force, including employed and non-employed persons. Importance: Low unemployment, a skilled labor force, and an adequate number of jobs for the available workforce are all signs of economic growth. Without these, a community may struggle to maintain a healthy economy. Without new businesses and development projects, a city will have a difficult time trying to maintain its economic prosperity. Source: Alabama Department of Labor, Historical Civilian Labor Force Data

Where we stand: Labor Force Area Growth Rate 1. At or above U.S. rate: Clay U.S. 0.8% Randolph Alabama -0.5% 2. At or above Alabama rate: Above, plus DeKalb Randolph 2.1% St. Clair Clay 1.1% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None DeKalb -0.2% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Talladega St. Clair -0.5% Etowah Talladega -0.5% Cherokee Etowah -1.3% Calhoun Cherokee -1.6% Cleburne Calhoun -2.6% Cleburne -2.7%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Employment Growth Rate

What it measures: The average monthly employment in industries covered by unemployment insurance. Importance: Employment growth is an essential component of a thriving economy. However, continuous, unmanaged, long-term employment growth may lead to congestion and diminished quality of life. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Where we stand: Employment Area 1. At or above U.S. rate: Randolph Growth Rate St. Clair U.S. 2.2% Talladega Alabama 1.7% Clay Randolph 3.6% 2. At or above Alabama rate: Above St. Clair 3.1% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Clay 2.8% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Etowah Talladega 2.7% DeKalb Etowah 1.3% Cherokee DeKalb 1.2% Calhoun Cherokee 0.6% Cleburne Calhoun 0.4% Cleburne -3.3%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Manufacturing

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the Manufacturing sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in manufacturing jobs that tend to be higher paying than other sectors. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Manufacturing Area 1. At or above U.S. percentage: St. Clair Change Randolph U.S. 1.4% Clay Alabama 2.1% Etowah St. Clair 11.2% Talladega Randolph 8.5% Cleburne Clay 6.4% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above Etowah 6.4% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Talladega 3.4% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Calhoun Cleburne 3.3% DeKalb Calhoun 1.1% Cherokee DeKalb 0.9% Cherokee -5.0%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Construction

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the Construction sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in construction jobs that tend to fluctuate with local economic conditions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Construction 1. At or above U.S. percentage: St. Clair Area Change Talladega U.S. 3.8% Randolph Alabama 1.9% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus St. Clair 9.0% Cherokee Talladega 8.4% Calhoun Randolph 4.0% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Cherokee 2.5% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Etowah Calhoun 2.4% Cleburne Etowah 0.8% DeKalb Cleburne 0.0% Clay DeKalb -2.9% Clay -13.4%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Transportation and Warehousing

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the transportation & warehousing sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in transportation & warehousing jobs that indicate business activity generally at the wholesale level. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Transportation Area Change 1. At or above U.S. percentage: None 2. At or above Alabama percentage: St. Clair U.S. 5.3% Talladega Alabama 1.4% Calhoun St. Clair 3.3% Randolph Talladega 3.2% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Calhoun 2.5% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Cherokee Randolph 1.8% Cleburne Cherokee 0.0% DeKalb Cleburne 0.0% Clay DeKalb -5.6% Etowah Clay -5.8% Etowah -9.7%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Wholesale Trade

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the wholesale trade sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in wholesale trade jobs that indicate business activity at the wholesale level. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Wholesale Trade Area Change 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Cherokee Cleburne U.S. 3.2% Etowah Alabama 3.4% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above Cherokee 28.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Cleburne 15.4% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Calhoun Etowah 4.3% Clay Calhoun 2.9% DeKalb Clay 0.0% Randolph DeKalb 0.0% St. Clair Randolph 0.0% Talladega St. Clair -14.7% Talladega -18.9%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Finance & Insurance

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the finance & insurance sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in finance & insurance sector jobs. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Finance & Insurance Area Change 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Cleburne U.S. 0.3% Etowah Alabama -0.3% Calhoun Cleburne 3.4% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus Etowah 2.4% Talladega Calhoun 2.0% Randolph Talladega 0.1% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Randolph 0.0% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: St. Clair St. Clair -0.5% Cherokee Cherokee -1.8% DeKalb DeKalb -2.5% Clay Clay -3.0%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Accommodation & Food Service

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the accommodation & food services sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in accommodation & food services jobs that tend to be entry level jobs relative to other sectors. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Accomodation Area Change 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Talladega St. Clair U.S. 3.5% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above Alabama 3.5% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Talladega 5.5% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Etowah St. Clair 4.3% Cherokee Cleburne Etowah 3.0% DeKalb Cherokee 2.7% Calhoun Cleburne 2.4% DeKalb 2.3% Calhoun -0.3%

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Healthcare & Social Assistance

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in the health care and social assistance sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in health care related jobs that have been a major source of employment in the area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Health Care 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Cherokee Area Change Etowah St. Clair U.S. 2.3% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above Alabama 1.8% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Cherokee 4.0% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: DeKalb Etowah 3.8% Clay St. Clair 2.6% Randolph DeKalb 0.9% Talladega Clay 0.0% Calhoun Randolph 0.0% Cleburne Talladega -0.1% Calhoun -3.5%

Cleburne -7.9%

100

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Change in Employment by Sector – Retail Trade

What it measures: The change in employment from 2014 to 2015 in retail sales sector. Importance: Shows whether there is an increase in retail sales related jobs that have been a major source of employment in the area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Where we stand: Retail Trade Area Change 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Randolph St. Clair U.S. 2.2% Etowah Alabama 1.8% Cleburne Randolph 6.3% DeKalb 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus St. Clair 5.6% Talladega Etowah 4.6% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Cleburne 3.2% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Clay DeKalb 2.7% Calhoun Talladega 2.1% Cherokee Clay 0.7% Calhoun 0.4%

Cherokee -4.3%

101

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent of Workforce Working Outside County of Residence

What it measures: The percent of people who work outside their county of residence. Importance: Shows economic vitality of the county, as measured by the ability to employ the county’s workforce. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Residence County to Workflow County Files 2011-2015

Where we stand: % Working Outside Area County of Residence 1. 25% or more below Peer Average percentage: Randolph Calhoun Peer Average 32.0% DeKalb 2. At or below Peer Average percentage: Above, plus Randolph 17.1% Cherokee Calhoun 18.2% Etowah DeKalb 21.3% Cleburne Cherokee 24.5% 3. Within 10% of Peer Average percentage: Clay Etowah 25.6% 4. Over 10% above Peer Average percentage: Talladega Cleburne 28.2% St. Clair Clay 34.0%

Talladega 35.3% St. Clair 62.5%

102

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent of Adults with a High School Diploma or Higher

What it measures: The number of adults 25 years and older holding high school diploma or higher divided by the state and county populations Importance: One necessary stepping stone to ensure eventual employment of youth is graduation from high school. It also creates an educated workforce and enhances personal achievement. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Where we stand: % High School Graduate or Area 1. At or above U.S. percentage: None Higher 2. At or above Alabama percentage: None 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: St. Clair U.S. 86.4% Etowah Alabama 83.8% Calhoun St. Clair 82.4% Talladega Etowah 82.0% Cherokee Calhoun 80.1% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Cleburne Talladega 79.7% Cherokee 79.6% Clay Cleburne 75.3% Randolph Clay 74.8% DeKalb Randolph 74.4% DeKalb 73.2%

103

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent of Adults with a High School Diploma or Higher

Where we stand: % High School Graduate Area 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Jacksonville or Higher Talladega U.S. 86.4% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus Alabama 83.8% Jacksonville 95.6% Hobson City Talladega 95.0% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Gadsden Hobson City 84.5% Sylacauga Gadsden 82.5% Piedmont Sylacauga 81.3% Anniston Piedmont 80.5% Oxford Anniston 79.8% Heflin Oxford 79.7% Lineville Heflin 79.5% Roanoke Lineville 79.4% Pell City Roanoke 78.1% Fort Payne Pell City 78.0% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Moody Fort Payne 77.8% Wedowee Moody 74.1% Trussville Wedowee 72.5% Trussville 71.6%

104

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent of Adults with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

What it measures: The number of adults 25 years and older holding bachelor’s degrees or higher divided by the state and county populations. Importance: Continuing education or certification increases knowledge and may improve employment opportunities. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: % Bachelors Degree or Area 1. At or above U.S. percent: None Higher 2. At or above Alabama percent: None 3. Within 10% of Alabama percent: None U.S. 29.3% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percent: Calhoun Alabama 23.1% St. Clair Calhoun 16.9% Etowah St. Clair 15.5% Cherokee Etowah 15.4% Talladega Cherokee 13.8% Randolph Talladega 12.5% DeKalb Randolph 12.4% Cleburne DeKalb 11.3% Clay Cleburne 10.6% Clay 8.6%

105

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent of Adults with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher

Where we stand: % Bachelors Area 1. At or above U.S. percent: Trussville Degree or Higher U.S. 29.3% 2. At or above Alabama percent: Above, plus Alabama 23.1% Lineville Trussville 29.1% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percent: Fort Payne Lineville 27.3% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percent: Hobson City Fort Payne 21.5% Talladega Hobson City 19.4% Sylacauga Talladega 18.7% Pell City Sylacauga 17.8% Oxford Pell City 16.6% Gadsden Oxford 15.4% Heflin Gadsden 13.3% Wedowee Heflin 13.2% Wedowee 13.1% Anniston Anniston 13.0% Piedmont Piedmont 12.9% Roanoke Roanoke 11.6% Jacksonville Jacksonville 11.2% Moody Moody 10.2%

106

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Economy

Per Capita Personal Income

What it measures: Per capita income is the mean income from all sources computed for every man, woman, and child in a geographic area. It is derived by dividing the total income of all people 15 years old and over in a geographic area by the total population in that area. Importance: Personal Income is essential for individuals to meet basic needs and have enough left to enhance their quality of life. One of the best measures of a community’s economic health is through per capita income. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

Where we stand: Per Capita Area Income 1. At or above U.S. value: None U.S. $48,112 2. At or above Alabama value: None Alabama $38,030 3. Within 10% of Alabama value: St. Clair St. Clair $34,400 4. Over 10% below Alabama value: Etowah Etowah $34,086 Calhoun Calhoun $33,418 Clay Clay $32,965 Cherokee Cherokee $32,645 Randolph Randolph $32,119 Talladega Talladega $31,805 Cleburne Cleburne $31,209 DeKalb DeKalb $29,621

107

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent Change in Per Capita Personal Income

What it measures: The average annual percent change in personal income from all sources from 2013 to 2014. Importance: Shows the change in personal income essential for individuals to meet basic needs and have enough left to enhance their quality of life. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

Where we stand: Area % Change 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Clay U.S. 3.7% Alabama 3.0% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Clay Clay 3.9% Etowah Etowah 3.5% Talladega Talladega 3.2% DeKalb Cherokee DeKalb 3.0% St. Clair Cherokee 3.0% Calhoun St. Clair 3.0% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Calhoun 3.0% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Randolph Randolph 1.7% Cleburne 1.7%

108

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Property Values Per Capita

What it measures: Net Taxable Assessed Valuation by County Real, Business, Personal, and Motor Vehicles. Importance: Indicates economic well-being and wealth accumulation. Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

Where we stand: Property Value per Area 1. 25% or more above U.S. value: None Capita 2. At or above Alabama value: Randolph Alabama $11,384.28 Talladega Randolph $12,841.99 3. Within 10% of Alabama value: Cherokee Talladega $11,985.18 4. Over 10% below Alabama value: St. Clair Cherokee $10,571.98 Calhoun St. Clair $9,183.21 Cleburne Calhoun $8,819.43 Etowah Cleburne $8,522.37 Clay Etowah $8,200.08 DeKalb Clay $7,779.10 DeKalb $6,767.25

109

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent Change in Property Values

What it measures: Net Taxable Assessed Valuation by County Real, Business, Personal, and Motor Vehicles. Importance: Shows the change in economic well-being and wealth accumulation. Source: Alabama Department of Revenue

Where we stand:

% Property Value 1. 25% or more above U.S. percentage: Etowah Area Cleburne Change 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus Alabama 3.5% Etowah 4.7% Clay Cleburne 4.4% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: Cherokee Clay 3.9% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Calhoun Cherokee 3.3% DeKalb Calhoun 2.5% St. Clair DeKalb 2.4% Talladega St. Clair 1.4% Randolph Talladega -0.2% Randolph -0.5%

110

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Retail Sales Per Capita

What it measures: The total retail sales for each county consists of all merchandise sold to the general public through stores or non-store retailers Importance: Retail sales are an indicator that shows the economic health of a community. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Economic Census

Where we stand: Retail Sales per Area Capita 1. At or above U.S. value: None 2. At or above Alabama value: Calhoun U.S. $13,438.99 3. Within 10% of Alabama value: Etowah Alabama $12,160.60 4. Over 10% below Alabama value: Talladega Calhoun $12,486.15 DeKalb Etowah $11,864.84 Cherokee Talladega $9,072.43 Randolph DeKalb $8,169.52 Clay Cherokee $7,694.62 Cleburne Randolph $6,996.02 St. Clair Clay $5,028.08 Cleburne $4,286.17 St. Clair $3,508.32

111

PROSPERITY – Economy and Jobs

Percent Change in Retail Sales Per Capita

What it measures: The total retail sales for each city consists of all merchandise sold to the general public through stores or non-store retailers. The percent change in retail sales shows the growth from sales per capita in 2007 to sales per capita in 2012. Importance: Retail sales are an indicator that shows the economic health of a community. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 and 2012 Economic Census

Where we stand:

% Change in Retail 1. At or above U.S. percentage: St. Clair Area Etowah Sales U.S. 3.3% Cherokee Alabama -0.9% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus St. Clair 10.7% Talladega Etowah 10.6% Clay Cherokee 5.5% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Talladega 2.1% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: Randolph Clay 0.4% Calhoun Randolph -1.8% Calhoun -6.0% DeKalb DeKalb -10.7% Cleburne Cleburne -52.5%

112

PROSPERITY – Transportation

Mass Transit

Public Transportation Ridership per 1,000

What it measures: The average daily ridership of public transportation among the working age population. It is measured per 1,000 workers. Public transportation is defined by the Census as publicly funded transportation modes and modes available to the general public (any mode of transportation that is not privately owned and used by individuals) that include bus or trolley, streetcar, subway, railroad, ferryboat, and taxicab. Importance: Mobility access to work opportunities. Public transportation is cost efficient and environmentally friendly. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

% Public Transportation Area Where we stand: Ridership per 1,000 1. At or above U.S. rate: None U.S. 51.26 2. At or above Alabama rate: Talladega Alabama 4.24 Clay Talladega 7.26 Randolph Clay 5.56 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Randolph 5.23 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Etowah Etowah 3.31 Cherokee Cherokee 2.02 Calhoun Calhoun 2.01 St. Clair St. Clair 1.71 Cleburne Cleburne 1.03 DeKalb DeKalb 0.44

113

PROSPERITY – Transportation

Public Transportation Ridership per 1,000, continued

Where we stand: Public Transportation Area 1. At or above U.S. rate: None Ridership per 2. At or above Alabama rate: Lineville 1,000 Talladega U.S. 51.26 Sylacauga Alabama 4.24 Lineville 26.29 Gadsden Talladega 20.95 Anniston Sylacauga 14.31 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: None Gadsden 6.06 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Moody Anniston 4.60 Pell City Moody 3.04 Oxford Pell City 0.38 Fort Payne Oxford 0.32 Heflin Fort Payne 0.00 Hobson City Heflin 0.00 Hobson City 0.00 Jacksonville Jacksonville 0.00 Piedmont Piedmont 0.00 Roanoke Roanoke 0.00 Trussville Trussville 0.00 Wedowee Wedowee 0.00

114

PROSPERITY – Transportation

Traffic Congestion

Average Commute Time

What it measures: The average time, in minutes, that it takes a person to commute between home and work. This excludes those who work from home. Importance: Lengthy commute times harm air quality, water quality and trees and lakes. Also decreases economic productivity. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Commute Area Time 1. At or below Alabama time: DeKalb (Minutes) Etowah U.S. 25.9 Calhoun Alabama 24.4 2. At or below U.S. time: Above, plus DeKalb 22.8 Talladega Etowah 23.4 3. Within 10% of Alabama time: Talladega Calhoun 24.1 4. Over 10% above Alabama time: Randolph Talladega 24.6 Cherokee Randolph 27.2 St. Clair Cherokee 27.4 Clay St. Clair 30.1 Cleburne Clay 30.3 Cleburne 33.3

115

PROSPERITY – Transportation

Average Commute Time, continued

Where we stand: 1. At or below Alabama time: Talladega Gadsden Commute Time Fort Payne Area Oxford (Minutes) Wedowee U.S. 25.9 Jacksonville Alabama 24.4 Anniston Talladega 17.3 Hobson City Gadsden 19.3 Sylacauga Fort Payne 19.7 2. At or below U.S time: Above, plus Oxford 20.4 Roanoke Wedowee 20.7 Lineville Jacksonville 21.2 Pell City Anniston 21.3 3. Within 10% of U.S. time: Heflin Hobson City 22.0 Sylacauga 24.0 Moody Roanoke 24.6 Trussville Lineville 25.1 4. Over 10% above Alabama time: Piedmont Pell City 25.9 Heflin 27.3 Moody 27.7 Trussville 27.8 Piedmont 28.8 116

PROSPERITY – Transportation

Mode of Transportation for Workers Age 16+

What it measures: The percentage of each type of transportation used to commute to and from work for all workers age 16 and over. There are three categories broken down by those who in a car, van or truck who drive alone, carpoolers, and public transportation plus other. Other includes all additional forms of transportation: motorcycle, bicycle, walking, working from home and all other means not previously named. Importance: Shows the availability of transportation modes that are energy efficient and friendly to the environment. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand:

1. At or below U.S. number: None Public Area Drove Alone Carpooled Transportation or 2. At or below Alabama number: Cleburne Other Randolph U.S. 76.4% 9.5% 9.7% Cherokee Alabama 85.4% 9.2% 2.5% Clay Cleburne 77.6% 17.7% 1.3% Randolph 79.8% 13.1% 3.0% Talladega Cherokee 83.9% 12.1% 1.5% Calhoun Clay 84.3% 10.4% 3.3% 3. Within 10% of Alabama number: DeKalb Talladega 84.4% 10.6% 3.1% St. Clair Calhoun 85.3% 9.4% 2.5% DeKalb 86.1% 10.4% 1.5% Etowah St. Clair 86.1% 8.6% 1.8% 4. Over 10% above Alabama number: None Etowah 86.2% 8.7% 1.3%

117

PROSPERITY – Transportation

Mode of Transportation for Workers Age 16+, continued

Where we stand:

1. At or below U.S. number: Lineville Drove Public Area Alone Carpooled Transportation or Heflin Other 2. At or below Alabama number: Above, plus U.S. 76.40% 9.50% 9.70% Talladega Alabama 85.40% 9.20% 2.50% Jacksonville Lineville 73.30% 18.30% 5.90% Wedowee Heflin 75.50% 18.80% 4.60% Talladega 78.90% 13.90% 6.60% Sylacauga Jacksonville 79.00% 9.50% 4.80% Piedmont Wedowee 79.10% 12.60% 4.90% Gadsden Sylacauga 81.50% 13.00% 3.90% Anniston Piedmont 82.40% 8.90% 3.00% 3. Within 10% of Alabama number: Hobson City Gadsden 83.80% 11.00% 2.50% Anniston 84.20% 10.00% 3.20% Fort Payne Hobson City 86.50% 11.10% 2.50% Oxford Fort Payne 86.90% 7.90% 3.50% Trussville Oxford 87.40% 10.60% 0.90% Moody Trussville 88.20% 7.70% 1.40% Roanoke Moody 89.20% 6.40% 1.20% Roanoke 89.50% 6.00% 2.20% Pell City Pell City 90.00% 7.60% 0.30% 4. Over 10% above Alabama number: None

118

PROSPERITY – Learning

Learning

Public Schools

ACT Aspire Math

What it measures: The percent of 4th Grade students who are meeting or exceeding a passing score on the mathematics section of the Alabama Reading and Math Test.

Importance: For children to be successful in school and beyond, they need a firm footing in basic mathematical skills

Source: Alabama Department of Education; PARCA

119

PROSPERITY – Learning

ACT Aspire Math, continued

4th-Grade Where we stand: Area Math 1. 25% or more above Alabama score: Trussville Alabama 53.1% Piedmont Trussville 87.9% Jacksonville Piedmont 70.7% Cleburne Jacksonville 69.0% Oxford Cleburne 68.3% 2. At or above Alabama score: Above, plus Oxford 67.6% Sylacauga Sylacauga 61.9% Calhoun Calhoun 59.9% Etowah Etowah 57.2% Pell City Pell 55.6% St. Clair St. Clair 55.0% 3. Within 10% of Alabama score: Clay Clay 51.0% Fort Payne Fort Payne 50.0% 4. Over 10% below Alabama score: Gadsden Gadsden 45.8% Talladega Talladega County 44.5% Cherokee Cherokee 43.9% Roanoke Roanoke 42.1% DeKalb DeKalb 38.6% Randolph Randolph 36.6% Talladega City Talladega City 35.2% Anniston Anniston 21.0%

120

PROSPERITY – Learning

ACT Aspire Reading

What it measures: The percent of 4th Grade students who are meeting or exceeding a passing score on the reading section of the Alabama Reading and Math Test.

Importance: For children to be successful in school and beyond, they need a firm footing in basic reading skills

Source: Alabama Department of Education; PARCA

121

PROSPERITY – Learning

ACT Aspire Reading, continued

Where we stand: 4th-Grade Area Reading 1. 25% or more above Alabama score: Trussville Alabama 40.9% Jacksonville Trussville 71.0% Piedmont Jacksonville 58.6% 2. At or above Alabama score: Above, plus Piedmont 54.3% Oxford Oxford 48.4% Fort Payne Fort Payne 46.1% Cleburne Cleburne 42.2% Etowah Etowah 42.1% Calhoun Calhoun 41.7% 3. Within 10% of Alabama score: Pell City Pell City 39.9% Cherokee Cherokee 39.9% Sylacauga Sylacauga 39.4% St. Clair St. Clair 38.1% 4. Over 10% below Alabama score: Talladega County Talladega County 33.3% Gadsden Gadsden 32.7% Talladega City Talladega City 31.7% Randolph Randolph 28.0% DeKalb DeKalb 27.9% Clay Clay 27.2% Roanoke Roanoke 25.2% Anniston Anniston 14.0%

122

PROSPERITY – Learning

1st Grade Retention Rates

What it measures: The number of public school students enrolled in the first grade during the 2015 school year who were not promoted to the second grade expressed as a percentage of the total number of students enrolled in the first grade.

Importance: Grade retention at an early age may indicate that a child has started school without adequate preparation and may continue to experience school problems in subsequent years. It may also measure the degree to which schools are able to respond to children from variety of backgrounds.

Source: 2017 Kids Count Data Book (Education Supplemental Report)

1st Grade Area Where we stand: Retention Rates Alabama 1. 25% or more below Alabama rate: Randolph 0.5% Randolph 2. At or below Alabama rate: Randolph 0.4% DeKalb DeKalb 0.5% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Calhoun Calhoun 0.6% 4. Over 10% above Alabama rate: Cherokee Cherokee 0.7% St. Clair St Clair 0.7% Talladega Talladega 0.8% Etowah Etowah 1.3% Clay Clay 1.3% Cleburne Cleburne 1.5%

123

PLACE

124

PLACE – Place and Activities

Environment

Land

Rural vs. Urban Population

What it measures: The populations living in urban designated and rural designated areas in each county divided by the total population of the county. Importance: This data shows economic development and demographic change, which affect a communities balance and well-being. Rural population can be used as a measurement to show the amount of open space available in an area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010

Total Percent of Rural vs. Urban Population 2010

% Urban % Rural

U.S. Alabama Calhoun Etowah Talladega St. Clair Randolph Cherokee DeKalb Cleburne Clay 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Where we stand:

1. At or above Alabama rural %: Clay Area % Rural % Urban Cleburne U.S. 21.0% 79.0% DeKalb Alabama 41.0% 59.0% Cherokee Clay 100.0% 0.0% Randolph Cleburne 100.0% 0.0% St. Clair DeKalb 90.1% 9.9% Talladega Cherokee 85.7% 14.3% 2. At or above U.S. rural %: Above, plus Randolph 81.3% 18.7% Etowah St. Clair 72.8% 27.2% Calhoun Talladega 55.8% 44.2% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rural %: None Etowah 37.5% 62.5% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rural %: None Calhoun 33.7% 66.3%

125

PLACE – Place and Activities

Percent Changes in Farmland Acreage, 2007-2012

What it measures: This measures the change in total farmland acres from 2007 to 2012. A farm is defined as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. Importance: Farmland acreage changes are an indicator of the preservation of open space. Source: 2012 Census of Agriculture

Where we stand: % Change in Area Farmland 1. At or above U.S. percentage: Calhoun Acreage Clay U.S. -0.8% Cleburne Alabama -1.4% 2. At or above Alabama percentage: Above, plus Calhoun 6.6% Randolph Clay 4.6% 3. Within 10% of Alabama percentage: None Cleburne 1.4% 4. Over 10% below Alabama percentage: DeKalb Randolph -0.7% St. Clair DeKalb -2.5% Cherokee St. Clair -5.8% Etowah Cherokee -6.5% Talladega Etowah -8.6% Talladega -16.1%

126

PLACE – Place and Activities

Places and Activities

Arts and Culture

Grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts

What it measures: The amount of money awarded to each county through grants from the Arts Council, per 1,000 population. Importance: The arts provide opportunities for entertainment and cultural enrichment, which contribute to a community’s quality of life and well-being. They are also used as a tool in economic development. Source: Alabama State Council on the Arts, 2016 Annual Report

Where we stand:

Grants per 1,000 1. 25% or more above Alabama value: None Area 2. At or above Alabama value: Etowah Population 3. Within 10% of Alabama value: None Alabama $480 4. Over 10% below Alabama value: DeKalb Etowah $483 Cherokee DeKalb $359 Cherokee $257 Cleburne Cleburne $121 Calhoun Talladega $110 Talladega Calhoun $46 St. Clair St. Clair $18 Clay Clay $0 Randolph Randolph $0

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PLACE – Place and Activities

Travel-Related Earnings Per Capita

What it measures: This indicator measures the total (direct and indirect) travel-related earnings by county, and divides it by the county population. Travel-related refers to lodging facilities, eating and drinking establishments, general retail, entertainment, public transportation and auto transportation used during travel. Importance: Tourism benefits a community by providing jobs for people in the community and exposing travelers to the area’s attributes, leading to more tourism and potential new residents. Source: Alabama Department of Tourism and Travel, Economic Impact Alabama Travel Industry 2016

Where we stand: 1. 25% or more above Alabama value: None Earnings per Area 2. At or above Alabama value: None capita 3. Within 10% of Alabama value: None Alabama $976 4. Over 10% below Alabama value: Etowah Etowah $430 DeKalb DeKalb $369 Talladega Talladega $349 St. Clair St. Clair $317 Cleburne Cleburne $299 Calhoun Calhoun $219 Cherokee Cherokee $202 Randolph Randolph $91 Clay Clay $22

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PLACE – Place and Activities

Travel-Related Expenditures Per Capita

What it measures: This indicator measures travel-related expenditures by county and divides it by the county population. Travel-related refers to lodging facilities, eating and drinking establishments, general retail, entertainment, public transportation, and auto transportation used during travel. Importance: Tourism benefits a community by providing jobs for people in the community and exposing travelers to the area’s attributes, leading to more tourism and potential new residents. Source: Alabama Department of Tourism and Travel, Economic Impact Alabama Travel Industry 2016

Where we stand:

1. 25% or more above Alabama value: None Expenditures 2. At or above Alabama value: None Area per capita 3. Within 10% of Alabama value: None 4. Over 10% below Alabama value: Etowah Alabama $2,753 DeKalb Etowah $1,435 Talladega DeKalb $1,162 St. Clair Talladega $955 Cleburne St. Clair $841 Cherokee Cleburne $720 Calhoun Cherokee $703 Randolph Calhoun $698 Clay Randolph $248 Clay $24

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Neighborhood Vitality

Growth in Residential Property Value

What it measures: This indicator measures the growth percentage of median housing value by census tract, divided into 3 separate categories: low, medium and high. Low is the percent of tracts per county with less than 8% growth. Medium is the percent with 8-16% growth and high is the percent of tracts that had 16 or more percent growth in housing value. Importance: Indicates neighborhood viability and identifies areas with increasing or decreasing residential migration. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Percent Median Area Change Housing 1. At or above U.S. growth %: Cleburne 2014-2015 Value 2015 Cherokee U.S. 1.7% $178,600 St. Clair Alabama 1.4% $125,500 DeKalb Cleburne 6.9% $108,000 Calhoun Cherokee 6.7% $105,100 St. Clair 3.6% $140,000 Clay DeKalb 3.4% $98,500 2. At or above Alabama growth %: Above Calhoun 2.5% $105,900 3. Within 10% of Alabama growth %: None Clay 2.3% $84,100 4. Over 10% below Alabama growth %: Talladega Talladega 0.3% $93,400 Etowah Etowah 0.0% $100,400 Randolph Randolph -4.3% $85,800

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Growth in Residential Property Value, continued

Where we stand: Value Growth Median Area 2014-2015 Housing Value 1. At or above U.S. growth %: Wedowee 2015 Jacksonville U.S. 1.7% $178,600 Fort Payne Alabama 1.4% $125,500 Pell City Wedowee 25.1% $87,100 Jacksonville 16.3% $159,400 Hobson City Fort Payne 11.8% $108,200 Sylacauga Pell City 4.3% $169,900 Moody Hobson City 3.1% $73,100 Talladega Sylacauga 3.0% $114,200 Lineville Moody 2.6% $148,100 2. At or above Alabama growth %: Above, plus Talladega 2.3% $84,500 Oxford Lineville 2.2% $77,600 3. Within 10% of Alabama growth %: Anniston Oxford 1.5% $123,700 4. Over 10% below Alabama growth %: Trussville Anniston 1.3% $99,900 Piedmont Trussville 1.1% $232,200 Gadsden Piedmont 1.0% $79,000 Roanoke Gadsden 0.8% $71,200 Heflin Roanoke -0.6% $82,900 Heflin -5.1% $106,900

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Housing Affordability

What it measures: This indicator measures the ratio between the median cost of a home and median annual household income. The income to debt ratio is conservatively averaged at 2.5 times the income. The higher the ratio, the less affordable the housing. Importance: Home ownership is critical to economic health in a community. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Income to Area Debt Ratio 1. At or below U.S. ratio: (all) U.S. 3.31 2. At or below Alabama ratio: Clay Randolph Alabama 2.88 Calhoun Randolph 2.32 Etowah Clay 2.38 DeKalb Calhoun 2.54 Talladega Etowah 2.56 St. Clair DeKalb 2.58 Cleburne Talladega 2.66 3. Within 10% of Alabama ratio: Cherokee St. Clair 2.70 4. Over 10% above Alabama ratio: None Cleburne 2.84 Cherokee 2.90

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Home Ownership Rate

What it measures: A housing unit is owner-occupied if the owner or co-owner lives in the unit even if it is mortgaged or not fully paid for. Importance: High home ownership rates are directly related to quality of life and safer neighborhoods. It also shows the affordability of the local housing market and level of community commitment. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Home Area Ownership 1. At or above U.S. rate: All Rate 2. At or above Alabama rate: St. Clair U.S. 65.4% Cherokee Alabama 69.5% Cleburne St. Clair 79.9% Clay Cherokee 77.6% DeKalb Cleburne 76.7% Randolph Clay 74.5% Etowah DeKalb 72.6% Talladega Randolph 72.6% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: Calhoun Etowah 71.8% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: None Talladega 71.5% Calhoun 68.6%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Median Age of Homes

What it measures: This indicator shows the median age of homes in each area. The age of all homes for an area are ranked from highest to lowest and the value above and below 50% of the values is chosen. Importance: The median age of homes indicates how long a community has been in existence and with other factors can indicate the historic preservation of the area or potential deterioration if large percentages are unoccupied. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Median Year Where we stand: Area Structure Built 1. At or above Alabama age: St. Clair U.S. 1976 Cherokee Alabama 1982 Cleburne St. Clair 1993 DeKalb Cherokee 1985 2. At or above U.S. age: Above Cleburne 1985 Randolph DeKalb 1982 Talladega Randolph 1981 Calhoun Talladega 1980 Clay Calhoun 1978 3. Within 10% of U.S age: Etowah Clay 1978 4. Over 10% below U.S. age: None Etowah 1975

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Median Age of Homes, continued

Median Year Structure Where we stand: Area Built 1. At or above Alabama age: Moody U.S. 1976 Trussville Alabama 1982 Pell City Moody 1999 Jacksonville Trussville 1995 Hobson City Pell City 1991 2. At or above U.S. age: Above, plus Hobson City 1983 Oxford Jacksonville 1983 Oxford 1980 Wedowee Heflin 1979 Fort Payne Wedowee 1979 3. Within 10% of U.S age: Roanoke Fort Payne 1977 Lineville Roanoke 1974 Talladega Lineville 1973 Sylacauga Talladega 1970 Piedmont Sylacauga 1969 Anniston Piedmont 1967 Gadsden Anniston 1966 4. Over 10% below U.S. age: None Gadsden 1959

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Occupancy Rate

What it measures: Occupancy rate shows the occupied dwellings in an area whether owner- occupied or occupied by renters. Importance: A very low occupancy rate generally shows a declining community with a substantial amount of unoccupied housing that can become blighted. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Area Occupancy Rate 1. At or above U.S. rate: St. Clair U.S. 87.7% 2. At or above Alabama rate: Above, plus Alabama 84.0% Cleburne St. Clair 89.5% Calhoun Cleburne 86.3% Talladega Calhoun 84.7% Etowah Talladega 84.6% 3. Within 10% of Alabama rate: DeKalb Etowah 84.0% Clay DeKalb 80.5% 4. Over 10% below Alabama rate: Randolph Clay 80.4% Cherokee Randolph 74.7% Cherokee 69.4%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Occupancy Rate, continued

Where we stand: Area Occupancy Rate 1. At or above U.S. rate: Moody U.S. 87.7% Trussville Alabama 84.0% Oxford Moody 98.1% Heflin Trussville 94.8% Roanoke Oxford 89.4% Pell City Heflin 87.9% 2. At or above Alabama rate: Above, plus Roanoke 87.7% Jacksonville Pell City 87.5% Lineville Jacksonville 86.8% Sylacauga Lineville 86.6% Talladega Sylacauga 84.6% Wedowee Talladega 84.5% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: Above, plus Fort Payne Wedowee 84.4% Anniston Fort Payne 81.8% Gadsden Anniston 80.6% Piedmont Gadsden 80.2% Hobson City Piedmont 80.1% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: None Hobson City 79.0%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Owner Occupied Housing

What it measures: This measure shows the percent of housing in an area that are owner occupied versus rental units Importance: A large percentage of owner occupied housing usually means residents have a stake in their community. Owners are concerned with local property values that can be affected by a sense of security. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Percent Owner- Area 1. At or above Alabama rate: St. Clair Occupied Cherokee U.S. 65.4% Cleburne Alabama 69.5% Clay St. Clair 79.9% DeKalb Cherokee 77.6% Randolph Cleburne 76.7% Etowah Clay 74.5% Talladega DeKalb 72.6% Calhoun Randolph 72.6% 2. At or above U.S. rate: Above Etowah 71.8% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: None Talladega 71.5% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: None Calhoun 68.6%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Owner Occupied Housing, continued

Where we stand: Percent Owner- Area Occupied 1. At or above Alabama rate: Trussville U.S. 65.4% Moody Alabama 69.5% Oxford Trussville 87.1% 2. At or above U.S. rate: Above, plus Moody 78.1% Piedmont Oxford 73.0% Lineville Piedmont 69.2% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: Fort Payne Lineville 65.6% Gadsden Fort Payne 62.1% Roanoke Gadsden 59.6% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: Sylacauga Roanoke 59.6% Wedowee Sylacauga 58.8% Wedowee 57.8% Heflin Heflin 57.3% Talladega Talladega 57.1% Pell City Pell City 57.0% Hobson City Hobson City 55.6% Anniston Anniston 55.4% Jacksonville Jacksonville 47.3%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Plumbing Availability

What it measures: This is a measure of the percent of housing in an area with complete plumbing facilities. Importance: This is an indication of the percent of the population in an area with basic necessities. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Where we stand: Area % with Complete Plumbing U.S. 99.6% 1. At or above Alabama rate: Cleburne DeKalb Alabama 99.6% St. Clair Cleburne 100.0% Calhoun DeKalb 99.8% Etowah St. Clair 99.8% Cherokee Calhoun 99.7% 2. At or above U.S. rate: Above Etowah 99.7% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: Talladega Cherokee 99.6% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: Randolph Talladega 99.5% Clay Randolph 99.1% Clay 97.3%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Plumbing Availability, continued

Where we stand: % with Complete Area Plumbing 1. At or above Alabama rate: Fort Payne U.S. 99.6% Heflin Alabama 99.6% Hobson City Fort Payne 100.0% Moody Heflin 100.0% Pell City Hobson City 100.0% Piedmont Moody 100.0% Roanoke Pell City 100.0% Sylacauga Piedmont 100.0% Gadsden Roanoke 100.0% Oxford Sylacauga 100.0% 2. At or above U.S. rate: Above, plus Gadsden 99.8% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: Trussville Oxford 99.7% Anniston Trussville 99.5% Talladega Anniston 99.3% Jacksonville Talladega 99.1% Wedowee Jacksonville 98.6% Lineville Wedowee 98.1% Lineville 97.9% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: None

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Kitchen Availability

What it measures: This indicator shows the percent of housing with complete kitchen facilities. Importance: This is an indication of the percent of the population in an area with basic necessities and shows the level of potential self-sufficiency for residents. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Percent of Housing with Complete Kitchens by County, 2011-2015

U.S. Alabama Cleburne St. Clair Etowah Cherokee DeKalb Calhoun Talladega Randolph Clay 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Where we stand: Area % with Complete Kitchen 1. At or above Alabama rate: Cleburne St. Clair U.S. 99.1% Etowah Alabama 99.3% Cherokee Cleburne 99.8% 2. At or above U.S. rate: Above, plus St. Clair 99.7% Calhoun Etowah 99.5% DeKalb Cherokee 99.3% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: Talladega Calhoun 99.1% Randolph DeKalb 99.1% Clay Talladega 98.9% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: None Randolph 98.7% Clay 97.9%

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PLACE – Neighborhoods

Kitchen Availability, continued

Where we stand: Area % with Complete 1. At or above Alabama rate: Heflin Kitchen Moody U.S. 99.1% Pell City Alabama 99.3% Sylacauga Heflin 100.0% Trussville Moody 99.8% Piedmont Pell City 99.7% Sylacauga 99.6% 2. At or above U.S. rate: Above, plus Trussville 99.6% Oxford Piedmont 99.3% Gadsden Oxford 99.2% Roanoke Gadsden 99.1% 3. Within 10% of U.S. rate: Hobson City Roanoke 99.1% Anniston Hobson City 98.9% Talladega Anniston 98.7% Fort Payne Talladega 98.4% Wedowee Fort Payne 98.1% Lineville Wedowee 98.1% Jacksonville Lineville 97.9% 4. Over 10% below U.S. rate: None Jacksonville 97.1%

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